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. 2022 Dec 30;13(1):54.
doi: 10.3390/metabo13010054.

The sFlt-1/PlGF Ratio in Patients Affected by Gestational Diabetes and SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Daniela Denis Di Martino  1 , Chiara Maria Soldavini  1 , Gabriele Rossi  1 , Maria Chiara Lonardoni  1 , Gabriele Tinè  2 , Agnese Caneschi  1 , Francesco D'Ambrosi  1 , Enrico Ferrazzi  1   3
Affiliations

The sFlt-1/PlGF Ratio in Patients Affected by Gestational Diabetes and SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Daniela Denis Di Martino et al. Metabolites. .

Abstract

Low values of the ratio of plasmatic soluble blocking factor FMS-like tyrosine Kinase 1 and placental growth factor (sFlt-1/PlGF) are required for an adequate placental angiogenesis and function. It has been shown that patients affected by gestational diabetes (GD) and patients with pneumonia from SARS-CoV-2 are characterized by an increased sFlt-1/PlGF ratio. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sFlt-1-PlGF ratio in pregnancies complicated by COVID-19 and GD. We compared the plasmatic sFlt-1/PlGF ratio among the following groups of pregnant women: COVID-19, GD patients; COVID-19, non-GD patients; non-COVID-19, GD patients; and non-COVID-19, non-GD controls. We enrolled 62 women in the present study, who were divided as follows: 14 COVID-19, GD patients; 12 COVID-19, non-GD patients; 11 non-COVID-19, GD patients; and 25 non-COVID-19, non-GD controls. The COVID-19, GD patients presented a higher pre-pregnancy BMI, a higher prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy as a co-morbidity, and an increased need for medication for their diabetes. Neonatal data were similar between the groups. The controls showed a significantly lower sFlt-1/PlGF ratio compared to pregnancies complicated by GD and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The sFlt-1/PlGF ratio was higher in patients affected by both GD and SARS-CoV-2 infection; these subjects were characterized by a greater incidence of obesity and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Keywords: COVID-19; biomarkers; metabolic syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

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