Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) circulating levels and gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors
Leca, Bianca M.Kite, Chris
Lagojda, Lukasz
Davasgaium, Allan
Dallaway, Alexander
Chatha, Kamaljit Kaur
Randeva, Harpal S.
Kyrou, Ioannis
Issue Date
2024-03-12
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Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent condition where diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy, affecting both maternal and fetal outcomes. Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) is a circulating adipokine which belongs to the lipocalin family and acts as a specific carrier protein that delivers retinol (vitamin A) from the liver to the peripheral tissues. Growing data indicate that circulating RBP4 levels may positively correlate with GDM. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the potential relationship between circulating RBP4 levels and GDM when measured at various stages of pregnancy. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMCARE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify studies comparing pregnant women with and without GDM, whose circulating RBP4 levels were measured in at least one pregnancy trimester. Findings were reported using standardized mean difference (SMD) and random-effects models were used to account for variability among studies. Furthermore, the risk of bias was assessed using the RoBANS tool. Results: Out of the 34 studies identified, 32 were included in the meta-analysis (seven with circulating RBP4 levels measured in the first trimester, 19 at 24–28 weeks, and 14 at >28 weeks of pregnancy). RBP4 levels were statistically higher in the GDM group than in controls when measured during all these pregnancy stages, with the noted RBP4 SMD being 0.322 in the first trimester (95% CI: 0.126–0.517; p < 0.001; 946 GDM cases vs. 1701 non-GDM controls); 0.628 at 24–28 weeks of gestation (95% CI: 0.290–0.966; p < 0.001; 1776 GDM cases vs. 1942 controls); and 0.875 at >28 weeks of gestation (95% CI: 0.252–1.498; p = 0.006; 870 GDM cases vs. 1942 non-GDM controls). Significant study heterogeneity was noted for all three pregnancy timepoints. Conclusion: The present findings indicate consistently higher circulating RBP4 levels in GDM cases compared to non-GDM controls, suggesting the potential relevance of RBP4 as a biomarker for GDM. However, the documented substantial study heterogeneity, alongside imprecision in effect estimates, underscores the need for further research and standardization of measurement methods to elucidate whether RBP4 can be utilized in clinical practice as a potential GDM biomarker. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42022340097: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022340097).Citation
Leca, B.M., Kite, C., Lagojda, L., Davasgaium, A., Dallaway, A., Chatha, K.K., Randeva, H.S. and Kyrou, I. (2024) Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) circulating levels and gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health 12:1348970. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1348970Publisher
Frontiers MediaJournal
Frontiers in Public HealthAdditional Links
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1348970Type
Journal articleLanguage
enDescription
© 2024 The Authors. Published by Frontiers Media. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1348970ISSN
2296-2565EISSN
2296-2565ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3389/fpubh.2024.1348970
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/