Effects of Metabolic Syndrome on Intestinal Flora, Inflammatory Factors, and Infants of Pregnant Patients

BACKGROUND: To explore the effects of metabolic syndrome (MS) on intestinal flora, inflammatory factors and infants of pregnant patients. METHODS: A total of 62 pregnant patients with MS in our hospital from March 2016 to February 2017 were randomly selected as the case group, while 62 pregnant women without MS in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The general clinical conditions, anthropometric parameters [height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure and body fat content], laboratory test indexes [fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and intestinal flora], and infant outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In the case group, the mean gestational age was higher, and the proportions of subjects with a family history of diabetes, a family history of cardiovascular disease, and a history of cesarean delivery were greater than those in the control group (p < 0.05). In the case group, the BMI, waist circumference, WHR, body fat content, and mean systolic pressure were higher and larger than those in control group (p < 0.05). The case group had higher levels of FBG, HbA1c, FINS, HOMA-IR, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, serum CRP, and IL-6 than the control group (p < 0.05). In the case group, the levels of Enterobacteria and Saccharomycetes were higher (p < 0.05), while the levels of Bifidobacteria, Lactobacilli, and Bacteroidetes were lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The newborn birth weight was larger in the case group than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and the incidence rates of fetal macrosomia, hyperbilirubinemia, fetal distress, and meconium aspiration syndrome were higher in the case group than those in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women with MS have a higher risk of imbalance of intestinal flora, mild inflammatory response and glucolipid metabolism disorder.