Original Research Article
Year: 2016 | Month: December | Volume: 6 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 191-197
Zinc and Insulin Resistance in Pregnancy Complicated with Gestational Diabetes
Mariana P. Genova1*, Bisera Atanasova2*, Katia Todorova-Ananieva2**, M. Velisarova2*, J. Hristova1*, Kamen Tzatchev3*
1Assist. Prof., 2Assoc. Prof, 3Professor,
*Department of Clinical Laboratory and Clinical Immunology, Medical University, University Hospital “Alexandrovska”, 1 G Sofiiski Str., Sofia, 1432, Bulgaria.
**University Clinic of Endocrinology, Medical University, 91 Vl. Vasov Blv, Pleven, Bulgaria.
Corresponding Author: J. Hristova
ABSTRACT
Metabolism of certain trace elements, as zinc, was altered in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with insulin resistance (IR) as a key factor in the pathophysiology. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between IR in GDM and plasma, and erythrocyte levels of zinc. Totally 35 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 37 pregnants with GDM were included. Zinc was measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Positive correlations between erythrocyte zinc, plasma zinc and fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin levels and HOMA-IR were found for healthy pregnant group. The correlations between zinc in erythrocytes and FBG, insulin and HOMA-IR were higher than those between plasma zinc and the same parameters with statistical difference for HOMA-IR (P<0.04). Negative correlations between glucose and zinc levels in plasma (r= - 0.13), between zinc in erythrocytes and FBG, insulin and HOMA-IR (r= - 0.12; r= - 0.16; r= - 0.16; p<0.05 and p<0.002 for insulin and HOMA-IR) were established for GDM group. Our data indicate that hyperglycemia in GDM impacts negatively not only plasma zinc, but also intracellular zinc levels in erythrocytes. Possible role of erythrocyte zinc in development of IR during pregnancy with this pathology might be assumed.
Key words: gestational diabetes; zinc in plasma, zinc in erythrocytes, insulin resistance.