This prospective cohort enrolled 302 low-risk singleton pregnancies at 10–14 weeks, measured plasma asprosin, and assessed gestational diabetes at 24–28 weeks. Ninety-eight participants (32.5%) developed GDM. Asprosin varied with BMI but did not discriminate later GDM, with an AUC of 0.516. The study provides a first-trimester reference range and evidence against using this biomarker alone for early screening.
Key findings
- Ninety-eight of 302 participants (32.5%) subsequently developed GDM.
- Asprosin did not differ across 10–14 gestational weeks, but increased quadratically with maternal BMI (p
- First-trimester asprosin had poor predictive performance (AUC 0.516), while maternal age and BMI showed modest discrimination.
Why this matters globally
Publishing a non-predictive biomarker result helps prevent costly premature testing. The reference range supports future mechanistic work, while simple clinical factors may currently be more informative in early pregnancy.
Thai researcher contribution
Sathaphone Inthavong, Phudit Jatavan, Sirinart Kumfu, Nipon Chattipakorn and Theera Tongsong of Chiang Mai University conducted the cohort from early pregnancy through later GDM diagnosis.
Limitations to consider
A low-risk cohort and one two-step diagnostic context may not generalise to other populations or criteria. Asprosin was measured early without external validation. An AUC near 0.5 argues against standalone clinical use, but does not exclude mechanistic or multivariable value.