Abstract
Introduction & Objective: Apolipoprotein C-III (ApoC3) regulates lipid metabolism by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase and reducing hepatic triglycerides uptake, higher levels associate with insulin resistance (IR). The role of ApoC3 in pregnancy is unclear. We study if apolipoprotein levels differ in women with diabetes in pregnancy. Methods: Among 66 pregnant women (Hispanic and Indigenous American) in the Early Tracking of Childhood Health Determinants (ETCHED) study (April 2022-September 2023), 22 (33%) had diabetes. Baseline maternal prenatal lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, ApoA1, ApoB, and ApoC3 measured by immunoenzymatic assay) and glycemic markers (fasting glucose and insulin, HbA1c, C-peptide) were compared by diabetes status; IR was estimated by HOMA IR. Cord blood fructosamine, C-peptide, and apolipoproteins were analyzed in a subset (n=40). Results: Table 1 contrasts measures in pregnancies by diabetes. In women with diabetes, pregestational BMI, glycemic markers, HOMA IR, and ApoC3 were higher. Cord-blood fructosamine levels were higher in offspring of mothers with diabetes. In similar analyses by hypertension in pregnancy the only difference between groups was higher pregestational BMI (p<0.001) in hypertensive women. Conclusion: Women with diabetes in pregnancy had higher levels of ApoC3 and increased insulinemia, compared to those without it; ApoC3 may be a marker of IR in pregnancy.