Early Postpartum IL-10 and IL-37 Concentrations in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy complication associated with increased risks of metabolic disorders in mothers and their children. Interleukins (ILs) such as IL-10 and IL-37 play key roles in modulating inflammation during pregnancy. Exploration of their postpartum concentrations may help characterize the immunometabolic profile of women with a history of GDM. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study compared serum concentrations of IL-10 and IL-37 between postpartum women with GDM (n=30) and healthy controls (n=50) within the first few days after delivery. Correlation analyses were performed between IL levels and clinical variables, including gestational weight gain, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, hydration status, body composition (assessed via bioimpedance), and family history of obesity or diabetes. RESULTS IL-37 concentrations were significantly lower in the GDM group than in controls. No significant differences in IL-10 levels were observed. In women with GDM, IL-10 showed key negative correlations with pre-pregnancy body mass index, total body weight, and extracellular-to-intracellular water ratio; IL-37 was negatively correlated with reported water intake and positively correlated with gestational age at delivery. CONCLUSIONS The altered IL profile observed in postpartum women with GDM, particularly reduced IL-37 levels, may reflect persistent low-grade inflammation. These findings support further investigation of IL-37 as a potential biomarker of immune dysregulation in the early postpartum period after GDM.