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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), one of the most common complications during pregnancy, is associated with a high risk of short- and long-term adverse effects on the mother and offspring. Placenta-derived hormones and cytokines aggravate maternal insulin resistance (IR) during pregnancy, which in turn contribute to GDM. The hyperglycemia and IR in GDM result in aberrant placental structure and function adversely affecting fetal growth and well-being. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that structural and functional alterations in the placenta contribute to the pathogenesis of GDM and GDM-related complications. Increasing evidence suggests that multiple non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, are dysregulated in placentas of patients with GDM and linked to abnormal placental structure, metabolism, and function. Manipulation of ncRNA expression led to some key pathophysiological features of GDM, such as trophoblast dysfunction, changes in intracellular glucose metabolism, and inflammation. Moreover, placenta-specific ncRNAs may be potential diagnostic biomarkers and even therapeutic targets for GDM. This review summarizes data published on the involvement of aberrantly expressed placental ncRNAs in GDM and provides information on their role in the pathogenesis of GDM and GDM-associated complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) is a novel anti-inflammatory adipokine that has been associated with various metabolic diseases. However, such relationship among adolescents remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between SFRP5 and the components of metabolic syndrome in Chinese adolescents. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included a total of 684 adolescents aged 11– 16 years old from Liaoyang city, Liaoning province, China. The ELISA kits were implemented to measure the plasma SFRP5 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum uric acid (UA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and fasting serum insulin (FINS) were also measured. Results: The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low SFRP5 level were an independent risk factor of high FPG [odds ratio (OR)=5.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.85– 15.22, P< 0.01] and high TC (OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.01-2.96, P< 0.05) when adjusting for age, sex, family history of diabetes, body mass index, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Conclusion: The lower level of SFRP5 is strongly related to lipid and glucose metabolism among adolescents in Northeast China. The risk of high fasting plasma glucose and high total cholesterol increases significantly as the plasma SFRP5 level decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study sought to develop a nomogram for the prediction of insulin requirement in a Chinese population with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study involving 626 Chinese women with GDM, of whom 188 were treated with insulin. "Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator" regression was used to optimize the independent predictors of insulin requirement during pregnancies complicated with GDM. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to establish a prediction model incorporating the selected predictors, and the nomogram was constructed to achieve individual prediction. The C-index, calibration plot and decision curve analysis were used to validate the model. Results: Maternal age, family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a first-degree relative, a prior GDM history, fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, gestational age, and body mass index values at the time of GDM diagnosis were the risk factors for insulin treatment. The model displayed medium predictive power with a C-index of 0.77 (95% confidence interval: 0.73– 0.81) and relatively good calibration accuracies. The decision curve demonstrated a positive net benefit with a threshold between 0.09 and 0.70. Conclusion: The findings suggest that our nomogram, incorporating seven indicators, is useful in predicting individualized survival probabilities of insulin requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]