Quantitative Comparative Proteomics Reveals Candidate Biomarkers for the Early Prediction of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Preliminary Study

Aim: To identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in 1st trimester maternal plasma between pregnant women at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and uncomplicated controls. Materials and Methods: First-trimester plasma from five women who developed GDM and five from non-diabetic ones were analyzed using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation - labeled proteomics. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was further applied in an independent cohort of 25 GDM cases and 25 controls for verification. Results: Prenylcysteine oxidase 1 (PCYOX1), beta-ala-his dipeptidase (CNDP1), extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1), basement membrane-specific heparan sulfate proteoglycan core protein (HSPG2), thrombospondin-4 (TSP-4) demonstrated significant differences in expression between the two groups (p<0.05). DEPs are mainly associated with complement and coagulation cascades. Conclusion: The reported plasma proteomic changes represent potential biomarkers for the early identification of women at risk for GDM. Future studies using larger and more diverse cohorts are necessary to assess the clinical utility of these findings.