Abstract： Objective To investigate the role of visfatin in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)and its correlation with insulin resistance.Methods The study recruited 58 pregnant women of 24 to 28 gestational weeks in People' s Hospital of Hebei Province from January to June 2013.Among them,30 were patients with GDM (GDM group),28 had normal oral glucose tolerance test and was referred as healthy pregnancy group (NGT group).Fourteen age-matched female who were first-degree relatives (FDR1)of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients,and 27 healthy nonpregnant women with normal oral glucose tolerance test were referred as high-risk group and normal controls (NC),respectively.The fasting plasma glucose (FPG),1 hour and 2 hours postprandial glucose levels were measured by glucose oxidase method.The fasting insulin (FIN)levels were measured by radioimmunoassay and the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR)was calculated.The levels of total cholesterol (TC),triglycerdes (TG),high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)were determined.The visfatin levels were measured by ELISA.Results (1)The levels of FPG were significantly higher in GDM,FDRI and NC group [(5.5±0.7),(5.1±0.6),(5.2±0.4) mmol/L] than that in NGT group [(4.5 ± 0.3) mmol/L],respectively (P＜0.05).(2) The levels of INS [(14 ± 6) mU/L],HO MA-I R (4.0±2.0),1 hour [(10.9± 1.8) mmol/L] and 2 hours [(8.6± 1.8) mmol/L] postprandial glucose levels of GDM group were significantly higher than those in NGT group [(12±4) mU/L,2.0± 1.0,(7.4± 1.3) and (6.2 ±0.9) mmol/L],respectively (P＜0.05).(3)The levels of TC,TG,HDL and LDL levels in GDM group were (5.5±0.9),(2.8±0.8),(1.8±0.4)and(3.3±0.8) mmol/L,and were(5.9 ± 0.8),(2.5 ± 0.7),(1.9 ± 0.4) and (3.4 ± 0.6) mmol/L in NGT group.The levels of lipid in the two groups were significantly higher than those in FDR 1 or NC group,respectively (P＜0.05).(4) The levels of visfatin in GDM group and NGT group [(43 ± 10),(45 ± 12) μg/L] were significantly higher than that in FDR1 or NC group [(29±9),(36±7) μg/L],respectively (P＜0.05),but the visfatin levels in FDR 1 group were significantly lower than that in NC group (P＜0.05).The visfatin levels in GDM group were slightly lower than that in NGT group,but the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).(5)The visfatin levels in NGT group were negatively correlated to the levels of FPG,HOMA-IR and TC(r=-0.38,-0.44,-0.47,respectively,P＜0.05).But the visfatin levels in GDM group were not correlated with the levels of FPG,HOMA-IR,TC (r=-0.16,-0.01,0.33,respectively,P＞ 0.05).While in NC group,the levels of visfatin were negatively correlated with FPG and 2 hours postprandial glucose (r=-0.48,-0.42,respectively,P＜0.05).Conclusion Visfatin may be an important adipokine that involved in the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in GDM,and is related to the pathogensis of GDM and insulin resistance.