Testing the surface fixation method in gestational diabetes mellitus

Introduction: To test the surface fixation method contrasting urine samples of women with GDM vs healthy pregnant women. Methods: This was a pilot descriptive study. Three groups were conformed: A) Pregnant women with GDM, B) Women with healthy pregnancies and C) Non-pregnant healthy women. The positiveness of the surface fixation method was contrasted with Odds Ratio. Results: 12 women with GDM, 14 with healthy pregnancies and 9 non-pregnant women were included in the study. The OR for a positive surface fixation test when contrasting GDM vs Healthy pregnancies was of 2.7 while the value when contrasting GDM vs Healthy pregnancies + Non pregnant women was of 3.2 without reaching significant statistical difference in any case. Conclusion: the surface fixation method used with urine samples, suggests the existence of a transient antigen-antibody reaction that contributes to the inefficient insulin secretion

Pancreatic Duodenal Homeobox Factor-1 and Neurogenin-3 Serum Expression in Gestational Diabetes

Objectives: Pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor-1 (PDX-1) and neurogenin-3 (NGN-3) are progenitor cell markers in the pancreas. The aim was to compare their serum levels in women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Material and Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study included two groups: (a) Women with normal gestation and (b) with GDM. PDX-1 and NGN-3 serum expression was determined by qRT-PCR. Student’s t-test or the Mann–Whitney U-test was used to contrast both groups and the Pearson or Spearman correlation was used. A multiple regression was done introducing body mass index and the relative expression of both genes as independent variables and glucose as dependent variable. Statistical significance was tested at P ≤ 0.05 level. Results: Thirty-eight patients (mean age was of 29.00 ± 7.74 years) were included, 22 belonged to the normal pregnancies, and 16 to GDM. Using the ΔΔCt method, the expression fold change for PDX-1 was 0.458 and for NGN-3 it was 0.361. There was a significant positive correlation between the expressions of both genes. The multiple regression was significant for both genes expression and glucose levels in case of having normal weight. Conclusion: PDX-1 and NGN-3 low serum expression could be predictors of higher glucose levels in normal pregnancie