Study record

Evolution of Mitochondrially Derived Peptides Humanin and MOTSc, and Changes in Insulin Sensitivity during Early Gestation in Women with and without Gestational Diabetes

Ruiz D, Santibañez M, Lavín BA et al. · J Clin Med · 2022

Human obs.Endogenous MOTS-c measuredEvidence tier B
PubMed 35683389doi:10.3390/jcm11113003Full text (PMC)Compare with another study

What this study reported

Measured humanin and MOTS-c in the first and second trimesters in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes and reported a significant reduction in both peptides between trimesters. Reported that, after adjustment including BMI, higher second-trimester MOTS-c was associated with a high HOMA-IR index, and that changes in MOTS-c across pregnancy were also associated with the HOMA-IR index, while humanin associations were not statistically significant.

Limitations

Small sample with only 28 women with gestational diabetes; observational design with wide confidence intervals; insulin resistance assessed only by a HOMA-IR cut-off rather than a reference method; sampling limited to the first two trimesters.

Study record

Annotated fields for this study
Study modelHuman observational
Substance studiedEndogenous MOTS-c measuredNaturally occurring MOTS-c was measured; nothing was given.
Specieshuman
System studiedPregnant women with and without gestational diabetes, sampled in the first and second trimesters
PopulationPregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus and matched pregnant women without gestational diabetes
DesignProspective matched cohort with repeated sampling
Sample size as reported73 pregnant women (28 with GDM, 45 without GDM)
Control group45 pregnant women without gestational diabetes, matched for BMI, age, previous gestations and sampling time
Route (data field only)Not reported
Endpoints measuredserum MOTS-c levels; serum humanin levels; HOMA-IR index; gestational diabetes status
Pathways measuredInsulin & glucose handling
Research areasMetabolic · Pregnancy
Evidence tierB — Other human study
Publication typesJournal Article

Appraisal

Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.

Relevance to MOTS-c
Direct
Model applicability
Human
Sample size
Small
Controls
Appropriate
Outcome validity
Surrogate
Support for its own conclusion
Moderate

Provenance

  • Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
  • Annotated from the published abstract.
  • Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
  • Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.