ABSTRACT

Plasma fibronectin (FN) levels in obese/overweight and non-obese pregnant women were evaluated as a possible risk factor for preeclampsia. A total of one hundred and sixty three pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital participated in the study and sixty non-pregnant women served as control. About 77 (47.24%) of the pregnant women were followed up for any subsequent development of preeclampsia during the pregnancy. Fibronectin levels in plasma were measured by ELISA assay and serum total protein, urea and creatinine were determined spectrophotometrically. The mean plasma FN concentration of nonobese pregnant women in first trimester was lower than those of the non-pregnant women by 24%, but however, increased to the non-pregnant level in second and third trimesters. Obese/overweight pregnant women had significantly (P \ 0.05) higher values than non-obese pregnant women in second and third trimesters. FN in obese/overweight pregnant women correlated positively with mean arterial blood pressure (MAP: r = 0.414, P = 0.04). About 28.57% of the pregnant women with FN above cut off point of 330 lg/ml at 18-24 weeks of gestation developed preeclampsia. This value increased to 40.0% when only the obese/overweight women were considered. On analysis of both fibronectin[330 lg/ml and MAP [ 90, the predictive value increased to 66.7%. We therefore conclude that elevated FN may be regarded as a risk factor of preeclampsia especially among the obese women.

Relationship between lipid levels and BMI was investigated in euthyroid, hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, general Type 2 diabetics, and non-diabetic control subjects. FT 4 , T 4 , T 3 and TSH did not differ in obese and non-obese diabetics but were higher in diabetics than in non-diabetics (p = 0.015, 0.012, 0.0164 respectively). Levels of FT 4 correlated with TC,

Background Abnormal thyroid hormone levels have been reported in type 2, but the relationship between thyroid hormone levels and glycaemic indices: fasting plasma glucose (FPG), C-peptide (C-pep) and glycated haemoglobin (HbAlc), used in the management of type 2 is not well defined. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between thyroid hormones and glycaemic indices in type 2. Results Positive correlations were observed between FPG and HbAlc in hypothyroid (r = 0.382, P = 0.011) and hyperthyroid group (r = 0.295, P = 0.012). FPG correlated with C-pep in hyperthyroid diabetics (r = 0.481, P < 0.001). HbAlc and TSH correlated positively in hypothyroid diabetics (r = 0.330: P = 0.031). HbAlc also correlated with T4 in hypothyroid diabetics (r = 0.379: P = 0.012). C-peptide and TSH correlated positively in hyperthyroid diabetics only (r = 0.279; P = 0.042). C-peptide also correlated with T3 and T4 in euthyroid diabetics (r = 0.231, P = 0.020; r = 0.248, P = 0.045), respectively. Conclusion The presence of abnormal levels of thyroid hormones influenced glycaemic indices in type 2 population. This implies that thyroid hormones investigation can assist in proper diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus.

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