After adjustment for confounders including maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, GDM offspring had borderline higher leptin (p=0.06) and significantly lower FGF21 concentrations (p=0.006).
GPR120 may act as a metabolic regulator, through the induction of FGF21, to control lipid metabolism, and GDM patients may manifest a GPR120 insensitivity.
However, there were no significant differences between GDM women and controls with respect to the expression levels of FGF21 and β-klotho in the placenta and rectus muscle.
In contrast, FGF21 patterns differed between healthy pregnant women and GDM patients suggesting a possible role of this hepatokine in the etiopathogenesis of GDM.
Maternal FGF21 was higher in gestational diabetes than in the normal glucose-tolerant group, whereas similar cord blood FGF21 levels were observed in both groups.
Circulating levels of FGF19 were significantly reduced in patients with GDM relative to healthy pregnant subjects, whereas FGF21 levels were increased in GDM patients.