Renal function and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: the potential mediating role of carnitine metabolites

This paper examined the association between early-pregnancy renal function with GDM risk and the mediating effects of carnitine metabolites. We conducted a prospective study using data from the Tongji-Huaxi-Shuangliu Birth Cohort. Our results showed that serum uric acid, uric acid-to-creatinine ratio, and eGFR in early pregnancy were positively associated with GDM risk. In contrast, creatinine, creatinine to weight ratio, and cystatin C were negatively associated with GDM. The associations between serum creatinine, eGFR, and creatinine-to-weight ratio with GDM risk might be positively mediated by specific carnitine metabolites.