A novel marker endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signalling-1 in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate maternal plasma endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signalling-1 (ERN-1) concentrations in patients diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 57 pregnant women with GDM and 40 gestational age- and body mass index-matched, healthy pregnant controls, conducted between August 2020 and November 2020. Plasma ERN-1 levels, other laboratory markers of insulin resistance, and demographic characteristics were compared between groups. RESULTS: Fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), hemoglobin A1c and plasma ERN-1 levels were significantly higher in the GDM group than in the healthy controls (p<0.001). Positive correlation was found between ERN-1 levels and HOMA-IR values (p=0.016). The optimal cut-off value for ERN-1 to diagnose GDM was 6.960 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 78.9% and a specificity of 75.0% (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: ERN-1 may be considered as a new marker for diagnosis of GDM and may also be a potential target in studies of GDM treatment modalities.