Kisspeptin levels in gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a diabetes occuring in pregnant women. GDM is one of major medical problems affecting the health of both mother and baby during preganancy.Pregnancy is characterized by insulin resistance. In pregnancy, insulin resistance is in parallel with increased levels of prolactin, HPL, progesterone, estrogen, cortisol and growth hormone. This increase in non-diabetic pregnant women is easily met with various adaptation mechanisms. This adaptation is provided with increased insulin synthesis, glucose dependent increase in insulin secretion, increase in mass of pancreatic beta cells, and gap-junctional connections, and increase in glucose metabolism and cAMP metabolism in pancreatic islets. These hormones have been emphasized in this adaptation. Studies have proposed the ideas that gestational diabetes mellitus can develop, if this adaptation is not adequate during pregnancy. However according to our current knowledge, the etiopathogenesis of GDM is unknown.Kisspeptins are peptided which are newly discovered and having many functions. It is known that plasma levels of kisspeptins are significantly increased during pregnancy. Their important regulatory functions on insulin secretion in pancreas were shown in experimental studies. Those were determined that Kisspentin?10 increased insulin secretion, while kisspeptin-13 reduced insulin secretion.In this study, plasma kisspeptin levels of healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with GDM were compared and their roles in the etiology of GDM were investigated.In our study, Kisspeptin?10 and kisspeptin-13 levels in GDM group were significantly lower than normal group. Serum insulin levels were found low in GDM group. When significantly positive correlation was determined between kisspeptin-10 and kisspeptin-13 levels in normal pregnant women (p<0.05), this was not determined in gestational diabetes mellitus group.As a result, significantly increased levels of kisspeptins have been known during pregnancy. Kisspeptins may have a role in the etiopathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus in which such as prolactin, HPL, progesterone, estrogen, cortisol and growth hormone are accused and have increased levels in pregnancy.Keywords: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, kisspeptin?10, kisspeptin?13