Vitamin D deficiency in gestational diabetes mellitus and the role of the placenta

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between maternal vitamin D levels and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and differences in the placental production of vitamin D receptor (VDR), CYP24A, and CYP27B1. Study Design Forty normal pregnant women and 20 women with GDM were included in this study. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression and production of VDR, CYP27B1, and CYP24A1 in the placenta were evaluated with real time–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Results We found that 27.5% of normal pregnant women and 85% of women with GDM had vitamin D deficiency, with serum 25(OH)D levels