Maternal serum level of TNF-α in Nigerian women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Alterations in the circulating level of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-a) has been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of the insulin resistance that causes gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but its role is not completely understood; Findings from studies done across different ethnic groups are often inconsistent. We carried out this study to determine maternal circulating concentration of TNF-a in Nigerian women with and without GDM. METHODS: A cross sectional analytical study conducted among 169 pregnant women, 85 with GDM and 84 with normal gestation. Diagnosis of GDM was made between 24-28 weeks gestation according to the WHO diagnostic criteria. Maternal serum level of TNF-a was measured and compared between the study groups. RESULTS: Maternal serum TNF-a level was significantly higher in the pregnant women with GDM than in the controls (2.50 , 0.30 vs. 2.10 , 0.30 pg/ml, p = 0.05). Also when comparing the serum TNF-a levels of the pregnant women with GDM and the controls for each level of body mass index, serum TNF-a levels remained significantly higher in both the normal weight and overweight pregnant women with GDM compared to their matched controls (2.40 , 0.30 vs. 1.90 , 0.20 pg/ml, p = 0.05) and (2.60 , 0.30 vs. 2.30 , 0.20 pg/ml, p = 0.05) respectively. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that pregnant women with GDM in this study have higher maternal serum TNF-a level compared to the pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance regardless of body weight status.

Keywords

• diabetes
• gestational
• pregnancy
• tumor necrosis factor-alpha
• body mass index