Investigating the Relationship Between Serum C-Reactive Protein, Ferritin levels, and Gestational Diabetes in Pregnant Women Living in Qazvin City

This study aimed to compare the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin in the first trimester of pregnancy between normal and abnormal pregnant women (complicated with gestational diabetes) to determine if these chemicals have any predictive value in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

This prospective cohort study was carried out on 300 pregnant women attending the Prenatal Clinic of Kosar Hospital, Qazvin City, Iran, during 2017-2018. Based on Carpenter and Constant criteria, the pregnant women undertook an oral glucose tolerance test with 75 g glucose to diagnose gestational diabetes. We also measured the serum levels of CRP and ferritin in all the women in the first trimester. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant

A total of 40 pregnant women were found to have gestational diabetes. The levels of CRP and ferritin were slightly higher in women with gestational diabetes, although this increase was not statistically significant. Regarding the receiver operating characteristic curve, body mass index (BMI) could predict the incidence of gestational diabetes (72.5% sensitivity, 53.1% specificity, P=0.023). The higher BMI and CRP levels in the first trimester were also significantly associated with macrosomia, which could predict macrosomia with 75% sensitivity, 73.6% specificity for BMI (P=0.005), and 87.5% sensitivity, 58.1% specificity for BMI. 

There was no correlation between CRP and ferritin levels and gestational diabetes in the first trimester of pregnancy. BMI before pregnancy was the only variable related to gestational diabetes. Increased values of both CRP and BMI were associated with fetal macrosomia