Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41699151›Full record

Observational studyScientific reports2026

Fetal sex-specific differences in the placental transcriptome of gestational diabetes.

Lydia L Shook, Frédérique White, Kalpana D Acharya, Sofía Torres-Bigio, Laura Ibanez-Pintor, Daehee Han, François Aguet, Kristin G Ardlie, Jose C Florez, Luigi Bouchard and 5 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Lydia L ShookDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St Thier-9, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Frédérique WhiteDépartement de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
Kalpana D AcharyaVincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Sofía Torres-BigioVincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Laura Ibanez-PintorVincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Daehee HanVincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
François AguetBroad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Kristin G ArdlieBroad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Jose C FlorezBroad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Luigi BouchardCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS), Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
Pierre-Étienne JacquesDépartement de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
S Ananth KarumanchiDepartment of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Camille E PoweDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St Thier-9, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Marie-France HivertDiabetes Unit, Endocrine Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. mhivert@mgb.org.
Andrea G EdlowDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St Thier-9, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. aedlow@mgh.harvard.edu.

Funding

American Diabetes Association 1-15-ACE-26Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) MOP 115071Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) PJT-152989Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 5K12HD103096Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 5R01HD100022Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development R01HD094150Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS) 20697
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects 14% of pregnancies worldwide with adverse maternal and offspring outcomes. Fetal sex is known to influence pregnancy outcomes and shape placental function. Although the placenta plays a central role in regulating maternal glucose levels, the molecular mechanisms driving GDM pathophysiology—and how they vary by fetal sex—are incompletely understood. We examined fetal sex impact on placental gene programs in GDM using two independent cohorts. In a case-control study (N = 101, 42 with GDM), we assessed expression of eight glycemic/immune regulation genes via qPCR in GDM placentas versus sex-matched controls. In a second prospective cohort of 433 individuals (N = 35 with GDM), we performed sex-stratified transcriptomic analyses of placental RNA-Seq data. Placental expression of genes implicated in glucose metabolism (IGFBP1, RBP4, EPYC, and PRL) was sexually dimorphic in GDM versus sex-matched controls. Transcriptomic analyses revealed enrichment in proinflammatory/glycolytic pathways and dysregulated retinoic acid signaling in male GDM placentas, while female GDM placentas showed enrichment in cell growth and immunoregulatory pathways. GDM elicits sex-specific differences in placental gene programs, highlighting the importance of incorporating fetal sex in pregnancy studies. These findings may inform future sex-tailored strategies for offspring risk prediction and intervention in GDM.

Indexed as

Diabetes, GestationalPlacentaSex CharacteristicsTranscriptomeAdultFemaleFetusHumansMalePregnancyProspective StudiesGestational diabetes mellitusPlacentaPregnancySex as a biological variableSexual dimorphismTranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID41699151
PMCPMC13000196

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.