Leptin concentrations are elevated in newborn infants of diabetic mothers

Background., Infants of diabetic mothers have been characterized by macroso mia due to hyperinsulinism. A relation has been observed between circulatin g levels of leptin and the intrauterine growth pattern. Methods: We studied the leptin and insulin concentrations in the cord blood of 29 newborn infa nts of mothers with type 1 diabetes (iT1DM), 70 newborn infants of mothers with gestational diabetes and 105 newborn infants of nondiabetic mothers. R esults: There were significant differences (p < 0.001) between the 3 groups with the highest leptin levels 24.9 mug/I (range 1.7-94.1) in infants of m others with iT1DM and the second-highest levels 14.0 mug/l (range 2.6-74.9) in infants of mothers with gestational diabetes (iGDM), whereas the contro l infants had the lowest leptin levels 10.0 mug/l (range 0.10-45.9). Girls had higher leptin concentrations than boys among the iT1DM and control infa nts. The insulin concentrations were 18.1 mU/I (range 1.9-123.3), 6.1 mU/I (range 1.1-51.4) and 3.6 mU/I (range 0.5-21.5) in the 3 groups (p < 0.001), respectively. A significant correlation was observed between leptin and in sulin concentrations in iGDM and control infants (r = 0.51; p < 0.001 and r = 0.25; p < 0.05). Both absolute and relative birth weights correlated wit h leptin levels in all 3 groups (r = 0.60, p = 0.01 and r = 0.51, p = 0.05 in iT1DM; r = 0.51 and 0.56, p < 0.001 in iGDM and r = 0.42 and 0.59, p < 0 .001 in control infants). Conclusion: Our results confirm the relation betw een leptin concentrations and birth weight. They also suggest that leptin m ay be involved in the increased accumulation of adipose tissue characterist ic of infants of diabetic mothers. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.