OBJECTIVE To evaluate plasma lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoprotein changes induced by gestational diabetes. METHODS In this case-control study, 60 women between 26 and 32 weeks of pregnancy were allocated to four groups according to lipid status and glucose tolerance: (1) normolipemia and no gestational diabetes, (2) normolipemia and gestational diabetes, (3) hyperlipemia and no gestational diabetes, and (4) hyperlipemia and gestational diabetes. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLc), triglycerides, triglycerides/very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), apolipoproteins (APO) A1 and APO B, APO B-VLDL and APO B/low-density lipoprotein were measured. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in the normolipemic group of women. Among the hyperlipemic patients, gestational diabetic women showed lower VLDLc when compared to nondiabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS Our results, comparing groups separated groups by lipid status, show that the only difference in lipid profile associated with glucose intolerance is lower VLDLc in hyperlipemic patients.