Plasma leptin in relation to regional body fat in older New Zealand women.
BACKGROUND
Leptin is the protein product of the obesity (ob) gene and is produced in adipose tissue. Plasma leptin values are highly correlated with total body fat mass but less is known concerning relationships of leptin with regional adiposity.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate associations between leptin and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measures of regional body fat deposition in older New Zealand women.


METHODS
Body composition was measured in 80 women aged 40 to 79 years (20 in each decade) using DEXA. Height and weight were measured by conventional anthropometry. Plasma leptin concentrations were assayed by radioimmunoassay.


RESULTS
Leptin was strongly correlated (p < 0.001) with weight (r = 0.751), body mass index (r = 0.782), total fat mass (r = 0.854) and % fat mass (r = 0.813). A statistical model with trunk fat (kg) and leg fat (kg) as the independent variables showed that trunk fat accounted for 72.1% of the variance in plasma leptin with leg fat explaining only a further 1.6% of the variance. No relationships were found between leptin and age, height, lean tissue mass or menopausal status (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that trunk fat explains more of the variance in circulating leptin concentrations than leg fat, suggesting that the propensity to leptin resistance may be increased in women with higher central adiposity.
Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
R W
RW
Taylor
A
A
Goulding
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D011506:Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values
D020738:Leptin; D011506:Proteins