Background: Oxidative-nitrative stress and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation have been previously observed in healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies, and they were also linked to the development of metabolic diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine these parameters and their correlation to known metabolic risk factors following healthy and gestational diabetic pregnancies.
Methods: Fasting and 2 h postload plasma total peroxide level, protein tyrosine nitration, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation were measured in circulating leukocytes three years after delivery in women following healthy, "mild" (diet-treated) or "severe" (insulin-treated) gestational diabetic pregnancy during a standard 75 g OGTT. Nulliparous women and men served as control groups.
Results: Fasting plasma total peroxide level was significantly elevated in women with previous pregnancy (B = 0.52 ± 0.13; p < 0.001), with further increase in women with insulin-treated gestational diabetes (B = 0.36 ± 0.17; p < 0.05) (R2 = 0.419). Its level was independently related to previous pregnancy (B = 0.47 ± 0.14; p < 0.01) and current CRP levels (B = 0.06 ± 0.02; p < 0.05) (R2 = 0.306).
Conclusions: Elevated oxidative stress but not nitrative stress or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation can be measured three years after pregnancy. The increased oxidative stress may reflect the cost of reproduction and possibly play a role in the increased metabolic risk observed in women with a history of severe gestational diabetes mellitus.