Serum levels of fractalkine are associated with markers of insulin resistance in gestational diabetes

Aims Fractalkine has recently been introduced as an adipokine that improves glucose tolerance. Regulation of fractalkine in gestational diabetes, as well as its association with markers of obesity, glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation and renal function, has not been elucidated. Methods Circulating fractalkine was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 74 women with gestational diabetes and 74 healthy, pregnant control subjects matched for age, BMI, and gestational age. Results Median (interquartile range) levels of fractalkine were not significantly different between the two groups [gestational diabetes: 2.24 (2.16) mu g/l; control: 2.45 (1.38) mu g/l] (P = 0.461). In multivariate linear regression analysis, fractalkine remained independently associated with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (beta = -0.253, P = 0.002) and the proinflammatory adipokine progranulin (beta = 0.218, P = 0.007). Conclusions Circulating fractalkine is not different between women with gestational diabetes and control subjects, but the adipokine is independently associated with markers of insulin resistance and proinflammatory progranulin in pregnancy.