Objective: To investigate the association of serum concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) with insulin resistance in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods: Forty normal pregnant women (NGT group) and 23 women with GDM (GDM group) were enrolled in this study with another 25 women of child-bearing age as the control group. Radio immunoassay (RIA) was used to measure the fasting serum IL-6 levels, and immunoturbidimetry performed to evaluate serum hs-CRP levels. The homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the homeostasis model assessment-B (HOMA-B) were calculated.
Results: Compared with NGT group and control group, GDM group had significantly elevated serum IL-6 and hs-CRP (P<0.01), but the levels were comparable between the former two groups (P>0.05). HOMA-IR was the highest in GDM group (P<0.001), and NGT group had significantly higher HOMA-IR than the control group (P<0.05), whereas the reverse was true for HOMA-B (P<0.01). Pearson correlation analysis showed that fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), IL-6 and hs-CRP had significant association with HOMA-IR (P<0.01). Multiple regression analysis identified FINS, FBG, IL-6, and hs-CRP as the factors significantly affecting HOMA-IR (regression coefficient of 0.563, 0.992, 0.325, and 0.231, respectively, P<0.01).
Conclusions: Serum levels of IL-6 and hs-CRP are elevated in women with GDM, which are the most significant factors affecting HOMA-IR. IL-6 and CRP may aggravate insulin resistance through various mechanisms and participate in the pathogenesis of GDM.