The prevalence of GAD antibodies in Korean women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their clinical characteristics during and after pregnancy

• Published in: Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews Vol. 25; no. 4; pp. 329 - 334
• Main Authors: Yu, Sung Hoon, Park, Sunmin, Kim, Hun-Sung, Park, So-Young, Yim, Chang Hoon, Han, Ki Ok, Yoon, Hyun Koo, Jang, Hak Chul, Chung, Ho Yeon, Kim, Sung-Hoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-05-2009; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Autoantibodies - blood; Autoantibodies - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Comorbidity; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - immunology; Diabetes, Gestational - blood; Diabetes, Gestational - epidemiology; Diabetes, Gestational - immunology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Epidemiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Glutamate Decarboxylase - immunology; glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody; Humans; Insulin-Secreting Cells - enzymology; Insulin-Secreting Cells - immunology; Korea - epidemiology; Korean; Medical sciences; postpartum diabetes; Postpartum Period - blood; Postpartum Period - immunology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Reference Values; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Asia; Korea; Human; Prevalence; Enzyme; glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Korean; Lyases; Glutamate decarboxylase; Maternal diseases; Puerperium; Epidemiology; Pregnancy; Symptomatology; Carbon-carbon lyases; Glutamic acide decarboxylase antibody; postpartum diabetes; Carboxy-lyases; Adult; Female; Gestational diabetes; Woman; Endocrinology
• ISSN: 1520-7552; 1520-7560
• DOI: 10.1002/dmrr.963

Background
We conducted this research in order to evaluate the prevalence of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA) in Korean women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), to identify the clinical characteristics of these women, and to gauge the prevalence of diabetes among them after childbirth.
Methods
We studied 887 Korean women with GDM who were screened for GADA, and assessed their antepartum clinical characteristics and the outcomes of their pregnancies. At 6 weeks' postpartum, 75 g oral glucose tolerance tests were performed to determine the diabetic status of GDM women with GADA.
Results
The prevalence of GADA in Korean women with GDM was 1.7%. Plasma glucose levels at 0‐ and 3‐h during oral glucose tolerance tests were significantly different between GADA‐positive and GADA‐negative women with GDM. There were no significant differences between them in terms of age, body mass index, family history of diabetes, fasting insulin, and lipid profiles. However, GADA‐positive women with GDM required insulin treatment during pregnancy more frequently than GADA‐negative patients. The development of diabetes at early postpartum was significantly higher in GADA‐positive women with GDM than those who were GADA negative.
Conclusions
The prevalence of GADA in Korean women with GDM was low. However, GADA‐positive women with GDM are more susceptible to subsequently developing type 1 diabetes, even in the early postpartum period. Long‐term follow up studies and intervention to prevent type 1 diabetes among GADA‐positive GDM women are needed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.