Perinatal Circulating Visfatin Levels in Intrauterine Growth Restriction

Abstract

Pathologic conditions in pregnancy that lead to intrauterine growth restriction could be responsible for elevated maternal visfatin levels. Higher visfatin levels in neonates with intrauterine growth restriction may serve as an early marker with prognostic value for later development of insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, whereas lower insulin levels may indicate reduced beta-cell mass and/or impaired beta-cell function.

Visfatin concentration is decreased in women with gestational diabetes mellitus in the third trimester

“…Malamitsi-Puchner et al (19) suggested that placental expression and transfer of visfatin could be responsible for intrauterine visfatin concentrations in normal full-term pregnancies, as well. The correlation between maternal and fetal visfatin levels in intrauterine growth-restricted and normal pregnancies was found in a different study by the same group (20). This supports the idea of transplacental transport of visfatin.…”

“…On the other hand, some previous studies reported that pregnant women with intrauterine growth retardation had increased maternal visfatin levels compared to controls (20,25). Post-natal first day fetal fasting insulin was observed to be decreased in the study by Malamitsi-Puchner et al (20). Interestingly, our results showing that women with GDM had decreased visfatin levels suggest this kind of relationship between fetal insulin level and maternal visfatin since fetuses from women with GDM were expected to be hyperinsulinemic.…”

“…In a study performed in non-diabetic pregnant women, maternal visfatin levels in the first trimester were found to predict second trimester insulin sensitivity (24). On the other hand, some previous studies reported that pregnant women with intrauterine growth retardation had increased maternal visfatin levels compared to controls (20,25). Post-natal first day fetal fasting insulin was observed to be decreased in the study by Malamitsi-Puchner et al (20).…”

Adipocytokines in Particular Pregnancy Disorders

“…Apelin is a novel bioactive peptide, identified as the endogenous ligand of the orphan G protein coupled receptor, APJ [112]. It has a common pattern of expression in human tissues and it is produced in several organs.…”

227: Evidence for differential regulation of the adipokine visfatin in the maternal and fetal compartments in normal spontaneous labor at term

“…Visfatin, a newly discovered 52 kDa adipokine, has been implicated in the regulation of glucose hemostasis [94] and it has been proposed that this hormone can play a role in fetal growth [7,8,25,43,47,48,51]. Recently, we have reported that preterm labor is associated with increased maternal circulating concentrations of visfatin [53].…”