Vaspin, a Compensatory Mechanism Against High Glucose Levels Since Birth?

Hormones produced by fat tissue, adipokines, produced during intrauterine life have recently been implicated in fetal growth. Vaspin is an adipokine expressed in visceral adipose tissue and has insulin-sensitizing effects. Elevated serum vaspin concentrations are associated with alterations in insulin sensitivity. We aimed to determine if vaspin concentrations in cord blood from healthy, term newborns differ among those born small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). A secondary objective was to determine whether an association existed between vaspin and anthropometric measurements, glucose and insulin levels in the newborn.

The study population included healthy term newborns, 30 subjects in the SGA, 12 in the AGA, and 34 in the LGA group. Anthropometry was documented in all subjects. Blood was taken from the umbilical cord vein from each child for later analysis for vaspin, insulin and glucose concentrations.

Cord blood vaspin, insulin and glucose concentrations were not different between the three study groups. A negative correlation between vaspin and glucose concentrations was demonstrated in the whole cohort (r=-0.364, p=0.001). This correlation was also observed in the LGA group (r=-0.482, p=0.004). Glucose concentrations significantly predicted vaspin concentrations (r²=0.132, p=0.001).

We found a negative association between glucose and vaspin concentrations in umbilical cord blood. In addition there was a predictive association between blood glucose and resulting vaspin concentration, suggesting that vaspin can be used as a predictor of alterations in the insulin-glucose metabolism from birth.