Impact of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Maternal Obesity on Cord Blood Dynamic Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis

ABSTRACT

Aim: Our aim in this study was to investigate the effect of maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on cord blood dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis. Methods: A prospective case–control study was carried out in 125 pregnant women (27 GDM, 30 obese, 68 controls). Cord blood samples were collected from all participants and native thiol-disulfide exchanges were examined with automated method enabling the measurement of both sides of thiol-disulfide balance. Results: Disulfide amounts, disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were increased (p < 0.001), while native thiol/total thiol was decreased in the cord blood of babies born to an obese or diabetic mother (p < 0.001). Moreover, increased disulfide amounts, disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/totalthiol ratios and decreased native/total thiol were found to be significantly associated with adverse outcomes in GDM. Conclusion: The current study suggests that the offsprings born to obese or diabetic mothers are exposed to increased oxidative stress.

KEYWORDS:

• Adverse perinatal outcomes
• maternal obesity
• gestational diabetes mellitus
• thiol/disulfide homeostasis

Acknowledgments

All the authors wish to thank all women who participated in the study.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.