Emerging biomarkers in gestational diabetes: perspectives for improving diagnosis and prognoses

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a pathology suffered by one in seven pregnant women worldwide, in which carbohydrate metabolism is altered, that is, glucose intolerance occurs. It is recognized for the first time in pregnancy since these adaptations occur with the objective of providing an adequate amount of glucose to the fetus for its development. They are related to risk factors such as age, diet, lack of physical activity, among others, and can cause fetal macrosomia, neonatal jaundice, and cardiorespiratory complications. In the mother, it is diagnosed through different blood glucose tests such as the oral glucose tolerance test, O'Sullivan test, however currently new biomarkers have been implemented for an early prognosis such as IL-27, a protein retinol transporter 4, maternal fetuin A, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and molecular biomarkers, but more studies are required so that these biochemical markers can be standardized by an organization