The Relationship between Serum Levels of Irisin and Gestational Diabetes

Background: Hyperglycemia often occurs in pregnant women with a significant increase in the global prevalence of diabetes. This phenomenon provides a large amount of research data for studying the relationship between pregnancy and blood glucose. Irisin is a myokine first identified for its ability to induce the browning of white adipose tissue, to increase energy expenditure, and to protect against insulin resistance and obesity. Objectives: The aim is to assess the relationship between serum levels of irisin and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Materials and Methods: A case–control study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Al-Imamian Al-Kadhemain Medical City, from the first of January 2020 to the end of October 2020. Pregnant women at the second trimester (n = 100) were divided into two groups: women with GDM previously diagnosed as case group (n = 50) and healthy pregnant women as control group (n = 50). Results: Mean serum level of irisin for the case group was 707.5 ± 167.2 ng/mL, and 892 ± 123.8 ng/mL for the control group, with a highly significant decrease in the case group than that in the control group (P < 0.001). The validity test of the serum irisin level at cutoff value of 702 shows that sensitivity was 94%, specificity was 90%, negative predicted value was 94%, positive predicted value was 90%, and the accuracy of the test was 92%. Conclusion: Serum levels of irisin were significantly lower in patients with GDM.