Maternal Serum Periostin as a Potential Biomarker for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether maternal serum periostin levels measured in the second trimester can serve as a biomarker for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and predict perinatal outcomes.

METHODS

This prospective case-control study included 173 pregnant women (103 with GDM and 70 healthy controls). Serum periostin levels were measured between 15-20 weeks of gestation. GDM was diagnosed using a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression were used to evaluate diagnostic performance.

RESULTS

Serum periostin levels were significantly higher in the GDM group compared to controls (median: 50.7 vs. 33.7 ng/mL, p<0.001). Periostin showed moderate diagnostic accuracy for GDM (AUC: 0.752). Higher periostin levels were associated with cesarean delivery, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

CONCLUSION

Elevated maternal serum periostin levels in the second trimester are associated with gestational diabetes msellitus and adverse perinatal outcomes. Periostin may serve as a supplementary biomarker for early identification of GDM.