Evaluation of SCUBE-1 levels as a placental dysfunction marker at gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the alteration of plasma levels of signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein (SCUBE)-1 as a marker of endothelial dysfunction and vascular injury in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in comparison to healthy pregnant controls.

Methods: A prospective study conducted at an antenatal outpatient clinic of a University hospital. Fifty pregnancies with GDM and thirty healthy pregnancies as controls were enrolled in the study.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, gravidity, weight and BMI from pre-pregnancy until delivery, total weight gain, fetal weight and other hematological and biochemical parameters. SCUBE-1 levels were significantly higher in GDM patients (p = .007).

Conclusions: Hyperglycemia predisposes to endothelial injury and vascular remodeling at GDM, and therefore, SCUBE-1 could be a predictor of vascular injury during pregnancy. Our study is the first to illustrate increased SCUBE-1 levels in GDM as a marker of placental endothelial dysfunction.

摘要

目的：探讨与健康妊娠作为对照组相比, 妊娠期糖尿病(GDM)孕妇血浆信号肽-CUB-EGF结构域蛋白-1(SCUBE-1)水平变化对血管内皮功能障碍和血管损伤的影响。方法：在一所大学附属医院产前门诊进行的前瞻性研究。50例妊娠期糖尿病孕妇和30例健康孕妇作为对照组参加了这项研究。结果：两组孕妇从孕前到分娩的年龄、孕次、体重、BMI、总体重增长、胎儿体重等血液生化指标比较, 差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。妊娠期糖尿病患者的SCUBE-1水平显著高于对照组(P=0.007)。结论：妊娠期糖尿病患者高血糖易导致血管内皮损伤和血管重构, 因此SCUBE-1可作为妊娠期血管损伤的预测指标。我们的研究首次证明妊娠期糖尿病患者SCUBE-1水平升高是胎盘血管内皮功能障碍的标志。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• SCUBE-1
• gestational diabetes mellitus
• pregnancy
• placenta
• endothelial dysfunction

Disclosure statement

The authors declare none of financial support or relationships that may pose potential conflict of interest.