Relationship maternal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness and development of gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether the ultrasonographic measurement of maternal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) thickness in the second trimester played a role in predicting gestational diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which 223 women were classified as healthy ( = 177) or as gestational diabetes ( = 46) on the basis of a negative or positive two-step oral Glucose Challenge Test (GCT), respectively. The depth of the abdominal SAT was evaluated by two-dimensional ultrasonography. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist/hip ratio were determined.

RESULTS

There was a positive strong significant correlation between a 50-g GCT level and BMI, WC, and SAT thickness ( < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed SAT thickness above 16.75 mm predicted gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with a sensitivity of 71.7%, a specificity of 57.1%, a positive predictive value of 32.3%, and a negative predictive value of 87.6%. There was a good correlation between SAT, BMI, and WC.

CONCLUSION

Increased SAT, BMI, and WC measurements may be helpful in predicting the risk of the development of GDM in pregnant women.