Objective: To explore the dynamic changes of adipocytokines and its correlation with insulin resistance during different stages of normal pregnancy.
Methods: Sixty-seven healthy pregnant women (18 first, 19 second and 30 third trimester) as experimental groups and 46 healthy age-matched non-pregnant women as a control group were investigated in a case-control cross-sectional study. Serum soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR) was determined by enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). Maternal serum leptin and adiponectin were detected by radial immunodiffusion. TNF-alphaR in placenta and fat tissue was examined by streptavidin/peroxidase.
Results: The sTNFR-I level was higher in pregnant women than that in the control group (729 +/- 167) ng/L, being significantly higher in second (1003 +/- 241) ng/L and third trimesters (1278 +/- 306) ng/L (P < 0.001). sTNFR-II level of first, second and third trimester groups (1383 +/- 305) ng/L, (1772 +/- 293) ng/L, (1933 +/- 498) ng/L was higher than that in the control group (1002 +/- 221) ng/L (P < 0.001) and was increased with the progress of gestation. Leptin level in late trimester (89 +/- 57) microg/L was significantly higher than that in control group (61 +/- 37) microg/L (P < 0.05). Adiponectin level in second (9 +/- 5) mg/L and third trimesters (10 +/- 4) mg/L was significantly lower than that in control group (14 +/- 7) mg/L (P < 0.05). The sTNFR-I and sTNFR-II were expressed in placenta and fat tissue.
Conclusion: The dynamic changes of adipocytokines contribute to occurrence of insulin resistance.