Circulating apelin, chemerin and omentin levels in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The available data on the significance of circulating apelin, chemerin and omentin in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are inconsistent. This analysis includes a systematic review of the evidence associating the serum concentrations of these adipokines with GDM. METHODS: Publications through December 2019 were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were conducted to evaluate sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Analysis of 20 studies, including 1493 GDM patients and 1488 normal pregnant women did not find significant differences in circulating apelin and chemerin levels (apelin standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): − 0.40 to 1.26, P = 0.31; chemerin SMD = 0.77, 95% CI − 0.07 to 1.61, P = 0.07). Circulating omentin was significantly lower in women with GDM than in healthy controls (SMD = − 0.72, 95% CI − 1.26 to − 0.19, P = 0.007). Publication bias was not found; sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the pooled results. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating omentin was decreased in GDM patients, but apelin and chemerin levels were not changed. The results suggest that omentin has potential as a novel biomarker for the prediction and early diagnosis of GDM.