RBP4

This study examined the association between maternal retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) levels during early pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Serum RBP4 concentrations were measured in 173 GDM cases and 187 controls using an ELISA-based immunoassay. The results revealed that mean RBP4 levels were significantly higher in GDM cases compared to controls (47.1 vs. 41.1 μg/ml; p < 0.05). Women in the highest RBP4 quartile had a 1.89-fold increased risk of GDM compared to those in the lowest quartile (95% CI: 1.05–3.43), though this association weakened after adjusting for confounders (aOR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.82–2.90). Notably, women aged ≥35 years with high RBP4 levels (≥38.3 μg/ml) had a 2.31-fold higher risk of GDM compared to younger women with lower RBP4 levels (aOR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.26–4.23; p = 0.021). These findings suggest that elevated early pregnancy RBP4 levels may modestly increase GDM risk, particularly in older women.