title: Serum leptin levels during childhood and adolescence: relationship with age, sex, adiposity and puberty.
abstract: We studied serum leptin levels in 189 healthy children to evaluate related factors during childhood and adolescence. Leptin correlated with body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold thickness (p<0.001) and body weight (p<0.01). Obese children and girls had higher leptin levels than non-obese children and boys, respectively (p<0.001). In girls, leptin correlated positively with age, skinfold thickness and BMI (p<0.001). In boys, leptin correlated negatively with age (p<0.001) and positively with skinfold thickness (p<0.05). Prepubertal boys had higher leptin levels than prepubertal girls and pubertal boys (p<0.05). Pubertal girls had higher leptin levels than prepubertal girls and pubertal boys (p<0.001). Leptin levels in girls were higher at Tanner stages 4 and 5 than at stage 1 (p<0.001). In conclusion, serum leptin levels are related with adiposity, have obviously age-related gender differences during childhood and adolescence, and may be involved in the maturation of reproductive capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Doğruel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akgün
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Kiliç
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uçar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013008:Somatotypes
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin