Association of serum amyloid A with subclinical atherosclerosis in women with gestational diabetes

The aim of our study was to evaluate serum amyloid A (MA), an acute phase reactant, and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) as a valid predictor of atherosclerosis in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Serum samples from 39 pregnant women with GDM and 25 healthy pregnant women were collected for the analysis of SAA. CIMT was measured in both groups to evaluate future atherosclerotic heart disease risk. The SAA level was measured with ELISA. The mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), CIMT and SAA levels were significantly higher in women with GDM compared with healthy pregnant controls (p = 0.033, p = 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). There were significant correlations between SAA and age, BMI, MABP, 50-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and A1c (p = 0.048,p = 0.037, p = 0.035, p = 0.042 and p = 0.048, respectively) and between CIMT and BMI, MABP, and 50-g OGTT, (p = 0.001,p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively) in correlation analysis. Furthermore, there was a correlation between SAA and CIMT (p = 0.048). Increased SAA and CIMT values in GDM compared with healthy controls might indicate an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis and future atherosclerotic heart disease and the importance of inflammation in this process. These changes were associated with obesity, hypertension and glucose intolerance-related factors (BMI, MABP, and 50-g OGTT), which may be relevant to GDM pathophysiology.