Serum irisin concentration in women with gestational diabetes

AbstractIrisin is a novel myokine and adipokine which induces an increase in total body energy expenditure, improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in experimental animals. In the present study, serum irisin concentration was measured by an enzyme immunoassay in 130 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 140 BMI-matched patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Median irisin level was significantly lower in the patients with GDM than in the NGT subjects (1703.3 [1354.8–2097.9 ng/ml] versus 1873.8 [1519.8–2294.8 ng/ml], p = 0.01); however, 3 months after childbirth its concentrations did not differ markedly between the two groups (1165.9 [872.1–1497.5] ng/ml versus 1139.0 [984.0–1376.7] ng/ml). In the whole group, irisin concentration correlated negatively with 2 h glucose level (R = −0.14, p = 0.03). In the women with NGT, irisin concentration correlated positively with ISOGTT (R = 0.22, p = 0.04) and the disposition index (DI120) (R = 0.24, p = 0.03), as well as negatively wit...