Plasma adipokine concentrations in overweight/obese pregnant women: a longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in plasma concentrations of adipokines in pregnant women with varying body mass indices (BMIs) with every trimester. In this study, 89 pregnant women were recruited. These women were divided into lean, normal, and overweight/obese groups. Serum levels of adiponectin, resistin, leptin, and visfatin were measured in the first, second, and third trimesters. In the overweight/obese group, adiponectin, resistin, and visfatin concentrations were not significantly affected by advanced gestational age. Leptin concentrations in the third trimester were significantly higher than those in the first and second trimesters. Adiponectin concentrations in the overweight/obese group were significantly lower than those in the lean group in the first and second trimesters. Visfatin concentrations in the overweight/obese group were significantly higher than those in the normal group in the first trimester. Leptin concentrations in the overweight/obese group were significantly higher than those in the lean and normal groups in all trimesters. In the first trimester, the largest differences were observed between the overweight/obese group compared to the lean and normal group. The changes in adipokines in overweight/obese groups are different from those in lean and normal groups.