Conditions of gestation, childbirth and childhood associated with C-peptide in young adults in the 1982 Birth Cohort in Pelotas-RS; Brazil

BACKGROUND: The connecting peptide in insulin has been associated with cardiovascular risk and overall mortality in the adult population. However, its early determinants are unknown. Assess the association of exposures during pregnancy, delivery, and childhood with C-peptide among 22–23 years old individuals prospectively followed since birth, in a southern Brazilian city. METHODS: In 1982, all hospital births in the city were identified and those livebirths whose families lived in the urban area were evaluated (n = 5914). The 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort has prospectively followed these subjects at different moments. In this study, we evaluated the association of C-peptide with exposures occurring during pregnancy, delivery and childhood. In the 22–23 years follow-up visit, we tried to follow the whole cohort and the subjects were interviewed, examined and donated a blood sample. C-peptide was measured using the chemiluminescence immunoassay technique (Immulite®–Siemens, Germany). RESULTS: In the 22–23 years visit, 4297 subjects were interviewed and the C-peptide was measured in 3807. The geometric mean of C-peptide was 0.83 ng/mL and the mean was higher among women. In the adjusted analysis, C-peptide was positively associated with family income at birth, lower among children of non-white mothers (0.90; CI95% 0.84–0.96), higher among females (1.22; CI95% 1.16–1.28), and positively associated with rapid weight gain between two and four years of age (1.18; CI95% 1.05–1.32). CONCLUSION: Family income at birth, non-white maternal skin color, and rapid weight gain between two and four years of age were associated with high levels of C-peptide. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12872-017-0613-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.