Sex hormone-binding globulin is a valuable diagnostic indicator of gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective: To assess the performance of the Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) assay as a diagnostic indicator of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) in the study population.Design: Analytical cross-sectional studySetting: Hospital-based, Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, Nigeria.Participants: Women with singleton pregnancies at 24 to 28 weeks gestational age attending Antenatal care at BSUTH, Makurdi.Intervention: Serum SHBG levels were assayed by ELISA during a diagnostic 75-gram Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) for assessment of GDM in the cohort of consecutively selected participants who met the inclusion criteria.Main Outcome Measures: Serum levels of SHBG and presence of GDM in the participants.Result: Serum SHBG was significantly negatively correlated (rpb = - 0.534, p-value < 0.001) with the presence of GDM. It had an area under the ROC curve of 0.897 (95% Confidence Interval = 0.858–0.935; p-value < 0.001). A cut-off value of 452.0 nmol/L indicative of GDM had a diagnostic odds ratio of 21.4 in the study population.Conclusion: SHBG is a valuable diagnostic indicator for GDM in the study population.