Data from: Relationship between high serum cystatin C levels and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus

Aims: Serum cystatinC (CysC) has recently been shown to be associated with
the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and progression to the
pre-diabetic state. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship
between serum CysC and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in
Chinese pregnant women. Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of
400 pregnant women including 111 with GDM and 289 with normal glucose
tolerance at 24-28 weeks of gestation. The subjects were further divided
into four groups according to the CysC quartiles, and their clinical
characteristics were compared. The serum CysC concentration was measured
using immunoturbidimetry and the degree of insulin resistance was assessed
by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).
Results: Serum CysC levels were significantly higher in pregnant women
with GDM than in the healthy pregnant women [1.0(0.8-1.8) vs 0.7(0.6-1.0),
P<0.01). The Spearman's correlation analysis showed that serum
CysC was positively associated with HOMA-IR(r=0.118, P<0.05) and
the occurrence of GDM (r=0.348, P<0.01). The pregnant women were
divided into quartiles according to their serum CysC concentrations.
Compared to the first quartile, pregnant women in Q2 (OR, 2.441; P=0.025),
Q3 (OR, 3.383; P=0.001) and Q4 (OR, 5.516; P<0.001) had higher risk
of GDM after adjusted for age, BMI, HbA1c and HOMA-IR. Further, with a
rise in the serum CysC, there was an increasing trend in the HOMA-IR
levels (P<0.05). A binary logistic regression analysis after
adjusting for other confounding variables revealed a significant and
independent association between serum CysC and GDM [OR=14.269; 95%
confidence interval, 4.977-40.908, P<0.01]. The receiver operating
characteristic curve analysis revealed that the optimal cutoff point for
serum CysC to indicate GDM was 0.95mg/L. Conclusions: Serum CysC is
significantly and independently associated with insulin resistance and
GDM. It may be a helpful biomarker to identify the risk of GDM in Chinese
pregnant women.