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Cord blood FGF21 in gestational diabetes and its relationship with postnatal growth

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Abstract

Background/objectives

To study whether FGF21 was present in cord blood and explore its relationship with maternal variables and postnatal growth.

Subjects and methods

The study included 157 pregnant women at the beginning of the third trimester; 79 with gestational diabetes (GDM), 78 with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), and their offspring. Glucose metabolism was assessed by oral glucose tolerance test. Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostasis model assessment index–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). FGF21 was determined in maternal plasma drawn at recruitment and in cord blood obtained at delivery. Offspring weight and height was assessed at birth and at 12, 24 and 48 months.

Results

Maternal FGF21 was higher in gestational diabetes than in the normal glucose-tolerant group, whereas similar cord blood FGF21 levels were observed in both groups. Lower cord blood FGF21 was strongly positively correlated with maternal circulating levels. This relationship was independent of mother’s prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), glucose levels and HOMA-IR. Although maternal FGF21 levels were correlated with prepregnancy BMI and HOMA-IR index, no relationship was observed between FGF21 and birth weight. However, cord blood FGF21 levels were correlated with BMI Zeta Score at 12 and 24 months, and this relationship became stronger when only the NGT group was analyzed.

Conclusion

FGF21 is present in human cord blood, and its levels are closely correlated with maternal levels. The association observed between cord blood FGF21 and postnatal BMI may suggest a potential role during intrauterine life that may influence future metabolic imbalance.

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Acknowledgments

P-GL is grateful to ACD for the “Ajut per a la recerca en diabetis modalitat clínica 2013.” SF-V acknowledges support from the “Miguel Servet” tenure track program (CP10/00438), from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). GL is supported by a “Rio Hortega” research fellowship (CM12/00044) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. The authors are grateful to Miriam Campos and Lluís Gallart from the Biobank at Joan XXIII hospital for their help in laboratory work and to Pilar Hernandez from the IISPV for her help with statistical analysis. This work was supported by grants FIS PI 12/0717 to AM, Fondos FEDER and CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas asociadas CIBERDEM (CB07/08/0012), SAF2012-36186 and CP10/00438 to SF-V (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) and Ajut per a la recerca en diabetis modalitat clínica 2013 to PG-L. CIBERDEM de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas asociadas (CB07708/0012) is an initiative of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.

Conflict of interest

Ana Megia, Pilar Gil-Lluís, Silvia Näf, Victoria Ceperuelo-Mallafre, José Miguel González-Clemente, Gemma Llauradó, Catalina Nuñez-Roa, Kelly Roche, Mónica Ballesteros, Rosa-Elena Yañez, Sonia Fernandez-Veledo and Joan Vendrell declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

Study was approved by the Hospital Research Ethics Committee.

Statement of human and animal rights

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.

Statement of informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Author information

Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Endocrinology and Nutrition Section, Hospital Universitari de Tarragona Joan XXIII, Institut Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, C/Dr. Mallafré Guasch, 4, 43007, Tarragona, Spain

      Ana Megia, Pilar Gil-Lluis, Silvia Näf, Victoria Ceperuelo-Mallafré, Gemma Llauradó, Catalina Nuñez-Roa, Kelly Roche, Monica Ballesteros, Rosa Elena Yañez, Sonia Fernández-Veledo & Joan Vendrell

    2. CIBER Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERdem), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

      Ana Megia, Pilar Gil-Lluis, Silvia Näf, Victoria Ceperuelo-Mallafré, Gemma Llauradó, Catalina Nuñez-Roa, Kelly Roche, Sonia Fernández-Veledo & Joan Vendrell

    3. Servei d’Endocrinologia i Nutrició, Hospital de Sabadell, Corporació Sanitària i Universitària Parc Taulí (UAB), Sabadell, Spain

      Jose Miguel Gonzalez-Clemente

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    1. Ana Megia
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    Correspondence to Ana Megia.

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    Managed by Massimo Federici.

    Ana Megia and Pilar Gil-Lluis have been contributed equally to this work.

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    Megia, A., Gil-Lluis, P., Näf, S. et al. Cord blood FGF21 in gestational diabetes and its relationship with postnatal growth. Acta Diabetol 52, 693–700 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-014-0705-9

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-014-0705-9

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