Plasma lipocalin-2 levels in pregnancy

• Published in: Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica Vol. 91; no. 1; p. 112
• Main Authors: Cesur, Semra, Yucel, Aykan, Noyan, Volkan, Sagsoz, Nevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-2012
• Subjects: Acute-Phase Proteins; Adolescent; Adult; Biomarkers - blood; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Female; Humans; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance; Lipocalin-2; Lipocalins - blood; Overweight - blood; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - blood; Prospective Studies; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - blood; Reference Values; Young Adult
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0412.2011.01158.x
• EISSN: 1600-0412

OBJECTIVE. To evaluate plasma levels of lipocalin-2, which is a novel adipokine associated with obesity and insulin resistance, in pregnant women.
Prospective case-control study.
University hospital.
Pregnant women with pre-pregnancy body mass index >25kg/m(2) (overweight; n=29) and body mass index <25kg/m(2) (n=27), whose gestational ages were between 24 and 28 weeks, as study groups and nonpregnant control women with body mass index <25kg/m(2) (n=29).
Plasma lipocalin-2 levels, fasting plasma glucose and fasting plasma insulin levels; homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index and fasting plasma glucose/fasting plasma insulin ratio were measured for each subject.
Comparisons among the groups and correlations for lipocalin-2 and the parameters of insulin resistance.
Plasma lipocalin-2 levels among the pregnant women were significantly higher than those of the control group (p<0.001 for both group comparisons). Lipocalin-2 levels were significantly higher in the group with pre-pregnancy body mass index >25kg/m(2) compared with the group with pre-pregnancy body mass index <25kg/m(2) (p=0.003). Lipocalin-2 levels were positively correlated with homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index and fasting plasma insulin and negatively correlated with fasting plasma glucose/fasting plasma insulin ratio in both pregnant groups.
Lipocalin-2 was found to be higher in pregnant women, especially when pre-pregnancy body mass index was >25kg/m(2) , and it was correlated with markers of insulin resistance.