Fatty acid binding protein 4 tied to preeclampsia risk in T1DM

(HealthDay)—For women with type 1 diabetes, elevated fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in early pregnancy and in the second trimester is associated with subsequent preeclampsia, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in Diabetes Care.

Amy C. Wotherspoon, from Queen's University in Belfast, U.K., and colleagues measured serum FABP4 in 710 women from the Diabetes and Pre-eclampsia Intervention Trial in early pregnancy (median 14 weeks of gestation) and in the second trimester (median 26 weeks of gestation).

The researchers found that in women in whom preeclampsia later developed, FABP4 was significantly elevated in early pregnancy and the second trimester (both P < 0.001). There was an independent association for elevated second-trimester FABP4 level with preeclampsia (odds ratio, 2.87; P = 0.03). At both time points, the addition of FABP4 to established risk factors significantly improved net reclassification improvement, and integrated discrimination improvement in the second trimester.

"Increased second-trimester FABP4 independently predicted preeclampsia and significantly improved reclassification and discrimination," the authors write. "FABP4 shows potential as a novel biomarker for preeclampsia prediction in women with type 1 diabetes."

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