Objective: To study the clinical implications of changes of coagulation function and fibrinolytic system in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
Methods: Twenty non-pregnant women, 20 with normal pregnancy and 46 with GDM were enrolled in this study for examinations of platelet alpha-granule membrane protein (GMP-140), Von Willebrand factor (vWF), antithrombin III activity (AT-III), plasminogen activity (PLG), activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI).
Results: vWF, GMP-140, PLG, D-dimer, PAI were obviously elevated while t-PA was lower in GDM patients as compared with the measurement in non-pregnant women and women with normal pregnancy (P<0.01). AT-III and ProC measurement showed no significant differences between GDM patients and women of the other two groups.
Conclusion: GDM patients may have elevated platelet activation and fibrinolyic activity as well as vascular endothelial injuries, and antenatal assessment of the coagulation function can be of value for prevention and treatment of GDM.