Increased serum 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (CMPF) levels are associated with glucose metabolism in Chinese pregnant women

PURPOSE: Previous studies have found that 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (CMPF) was associated with diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between abnormal increased CMPF levels and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: We recruited 828 pregnant women, and all of them underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). We screened out 141 GDM patients and 230 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance as controls. The serum CMPF concentration in participants was measured, and the relationship between the serum CMPF concentration and various parameters and biochemical indices was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the serum levels in pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance, GDM patients exhibited markedly higher serum CMPF levels. The serum CMPF concentration showed an independent positive correlation with the blood glucose levels, glycated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c), and the area under the glucose–time curve from the 2-h OGTT (AUC for glucose). Moreover, the CMPF concentration was independently negatively correlated with insulin secretion. However, CMPF was not significantly associated with lipid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum CMPF levels are detrimental to the development of hyperglycemia and islet β-cell functional failure in patients with GDM, which may promote the development of GDM. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s40618-017-0789-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.