ABSTRACT
Inflammatory markers predict type 2 diabetes. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus [GDM] predicts type 2 diabetes. To examine the association of inflammatory markers with GDM, we investigated total sialic acid [TSA] in women with and without previous GDM. All women with GDM and a random sample of women from diabetic center of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore were taken after an interview, an oral glucose tolerance test and anthropometry were performed. A total of 46 women with and 50 women without previous GDM completed the protocol. Mean TSA was significantly higher in women with [71.8 +/- 11.1 mg/dl] than without [67.5 +/- 9.8 mg/dl] previous GDM [P< 0.05]. In a linear regression model, TSA was 4 mg/dl [P< 0.05] higher in women with previous GDM, after adjustment for BMI and fasting insulin sensitivity. In a similar model, current 2-h plasma glucose levels were associated with higher TSA levels after adjustment for waist-to-hip ratio and the log of triglycerides. TSA was strongly correlated with individual components and aggregates [r = 0.55, P< 0.001] of the metabolic syndrome. Increased TSA levels are associated with previous GDM and are strongly linked to the metabolic syndrome. These findings in young women suggest that a chronic mild systemic inflammatory response is an early feature of the metabolic syndrome and that GDM may be a window for its investigation