Abstract:
PURPOSE : Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a growing public health concern. GDM
affects approximately 14% of pregnancies globally, and without effective treatment, is
associated with short- and long-term complications in mother and child. Lower serum
adiponectin (ADIPOQ) concentrations and aberrant DNA methylation have been reported
during GDM. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the ADIPOQ
−11377C>G and −11391G>A, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T
polymorphisms and GDM in a population of black South African women.
MATERIALS AND METHODS : DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood of 447 pregnant
women with (n=116) or without (n=331) GDM, where after ADIPOQ (rs266729 and
rs17300539) and MTHFR (rs1801133) polymorphisms were genotyped using TaqMan
Quantitative Real-Time PCR analysis.
RESULTS : Women with GDM had a higher body mass index (p=0.012), were more insulin
resistant (p<0.001) and had lower adiponectin levels (p=0.013) compared to pregnant women
with normoglycemia. Genotypic, dominant and recessive genetic models showed no association
between ADIPOQ rs266729 and rs17300539 and MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphisms
and GDM. Intriguingly, the risk G allele of ADIPOQ rs266729 was associated with higher
fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, while the T allele in MTHFR rs1801133 was
associated with higher fasting insulin concentrations only.
CONCLUSION : ADIPOQ rs266729 and rs17300539 and MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphisms
are not associated with GDM in a population of black South African women. These findings
suggest that these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) do not individually increase
GDM risk in the African population. However, the role of these SNPs in possible genegene
or gene-environment interactions remain to be established.
