Placental RNA sequencing implicates IGFBP1 in insulin sensitivity during pregnancy and in gestational diabetes

Reduced insulin sensitivity (or greater insulin resistance) is a hallmark of normal physiology in late pregnancy and also underlies gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pathophysiology. We conducted transcriptomic profiling of 434 human placentas and identified a strong positive association between insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 gene (IGFBP1) expression in the placenta and insulin sensitivity at ~ 26 weeks’ gestation. Circulating IGFBP1 protein levels rose over the course of pregnancy and declined postpartum, which together with high placental gene expression levels, suggests a placental source. Higher circulating IGFBP1 levels were strongly associated with greater insulin sensitivity (lesser insulin resistance) at ~ 26 weeks’ gestation in the same cohort and two additional pregnancy cohorts. In addition, low circulating IGFBP1 levels in early pregnancy predicted subsequent GDM diagnosis in two cohorts. These results implicate IGFBP1 in the glycemic physiology of pregnancy and suggest a role for placental IGFBP1 deficiency in GDM pathogenesis.