Investigation on the Association of Maternal Serum Visfatin Concentration with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication that can have adverse effects on both the mother and the child. Visfatin, an adipokine, has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of GDM. Still, the association between maternal serum visfatin concentration and GDM remains unclear, particularly in the Bangladeshi female population. This study investigated the association between maternal serum visfatin concentration and GDM in the Bangladeshi female population. Methods: A total of 69 patients participated in this study, including 34 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, cases) and 35 patients without GDM (non-GDM, controls). Maternal age, gravida, pre-pregnancy BMI, family history of diabetes, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and lipid profile were assessed. Serum visfatin concentrations were measured and compared between the two groups. Results: The GDM group had significantly lower serum visfatin concentrations compared to the non-GDM group (0.72±0.38 ng/ml vs 1.12±0.7 ng/ml, p less than 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that lower maternal serum visfatin concentrations are associated with GDM and visfatin levels are inversely related to insulin resistance in women with GDM. Consequently, a potential role of visfatin in the pathogenesis and management of GDM is associated with the Bangladeshi population and thus visfatin may represent a novel diagnostic or prognostic biomarker for GDM. Therefore, further research will be valuable to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and explore the clinical implications of these associations. Keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), Visfatin, Fasting Glucose, Fasting Insulin, HOMA-IR, Triglycerides, TC, HDL, LDL