Glycosylated proteins in normal and diabetic pregnancy.

The methods available for and the clinical usefulness of measuring glycosylated proteins in pregnancy complicated by diabetes is reviewed. The need for standardization of reference ranges for pregnancy and for highly accurate and precise methods of measurement is emphasized. Measurement of glycosylated proteins is useful in patients with established diabetes to identify pregnancies at risk for complications known to be associated with significant hyperglycaemia. These include spontaneous abortion and malformations, foetal loss due to premature labour or intrauterine death, and macrosomia and other neonatal morbidities. The use of glycosylated protein measurements as a diagnostic test for gestational diabetes appears limited.