Leptin concentration in newborns' cord blood: relationship to gender and growth-regulating hormones

Citation
C. Maffeis et al., Leptin concentration in newborns' cord blood: relationship to gender and growth-regulating hormones, INT J OBES, 23(9), 1999, pp. 943-947
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Endocrynology, Metabolism & Nutrition","Endocrinology, Nutrition & Metabolism
Journal title
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
ISSN journal
03070565 → ACNP
Volume
23
Issue
9
Year of publication
1999
Pages
943 - 947
Database
ISI
SICI code
0307-0565(199909)23:9<943:LCINCB>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
AIMS: To verify if plasma leptin concentrations of newborns at birth differ significantly between sexes; and to investigate the potential interactions between plasma leptin and growth-regulating hormones at birth. SUBJECTS: 98 healthy newborns (48 male, 50 female) were studied, Leptin, in sulin, cortisol, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), testosterone, and se x hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations were measured from venous blood collected from the umbilical cord vein immediately after birth. RESULTS: The serum leptin concentration of newborns averaged 8.05(0.5) ng/m l. Females had significantly (P < 0.005) higher serum leptin values than ma les [9.6(0.8) vs 6.0(0.6) ng/ml]. IGF-1 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in females than in males [87(4) vs 74(5) mu g/l], whereas SHBG was slightl y lower [29(1) vs 33(2) nmol/l]. Insulin, cortisol, and testosterone serum concentrations were not statistically different between the sexes. Among th e variables examined, birth weight (expressed as Z-score of weight) and ins ulin showed the highest degree of relationship with serum leptin in newborn s (r = 0.48 and r = 0.31 respectively, P < 0.001). Multiple regression anal ysis showed that Z-score of birth weight, gender and cortisol were able to account for approximate to 44% of inter-individual variability of serum lep tin concentrations in newborns. CONCLUSIONS: Female newborns have significantly higher serum leptin concent rations than males. Insulin, IGF-1, testosterone, and SHBG did not independ ently affect leptin inter-individual variability when gender, Z-score of bo dy weight, and cortisol were taken into account, Other factors may be invol ved in the differences in circulating leptin concentrations between the sex es in newborns.