Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the utilities of glycosylated hemoglobin A_1c(HbA_1c) and serum glycated albumin(GA) for the early monitoring of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). Methods A total of 98 pregnant women with their estimated gestational age between 22 and 24 weeks were enrolled for GDM diagnosis using 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) based on American Diabetes Association(ADA) criteria, and were classified into normal pregnancy group (50 cases) and GDM group (48 cases). HbA_1c and GA were also determined simultaneously, and the results were analyzed statistically and byreceiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The HbA_1c and GA levels in GDM group were significantly higher than those in normal pregnancy group(P<0.01). The area under ROC curve of HbA_1c was 0.954±0.020 at the cut-off value of 5.15% with sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 92.0%. The area under ROC curve of GA was 0.910±0.029 at the cut-off value of 12.50% with sensitivity of 81.3% and specificity of 84.0%. The sensitivity was 70.8%, and the specificity was 98.0% in diagnosing GDM by the combined determination of HbA_1c and GA. Conclusions When HbA_1c>5.15% and GA>12.50%, there are high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of GDM.The combined determination of HbA_1c and GA has the significance for the diagnosis of GDM.

Key words: Glycosylated hemoglobin A_1c, Glycated albumin, Gestational diabetes mellitus