Assessment of serum alarin levels in pregnancies complicated with gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to investigate serum alarin levels during the 24th to 28th weeks of gestation in women with newly diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to explore the possible correlation between alarin levels and maternal and neonatal clinical outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study including 64 women with pregnancies complicated by GDM and 64 women with healthy pregnancies (control group) was performed. Serum alarin levels were quantified using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method, and their diagnostic utility was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Furthermore, the relationships between alarin levels and various clinical parameters were statistically analysed. RESULTS: The mean maternal serum alarin levels were notably elevated in the GDM group compared to the control (12.3 ± 1.4 ng/mL vs 7.8 ± 0.8 ng/mL; p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis demonstrated a high discriminatory capacity, with an AUC of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.77-0.92). However, no statistically significant correlations were observed between alarin levels and obstetric or neonatal parameters, including gestational age at delivery, polyhydramnios, preterm birth, hypertensive complications, fetal growth restriction, APGAR scores and NICU admissions. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the possible role of alarin as a promising biomarker for the identification of GDM.