Relatively low serum leptin levels in adults born with intra-uterine growth retardation.
BACKGROUND
In-utero under-nutrition dramatically alters the development of adipose tissue, during the fetal and the neonatal period.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether adults born with intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) show evidence of impaired adipose tissue development and leptin regulation.


METHODS
Serum leptin concentrations were measured in 26 healthy adults born with IUGR and 25 controls aged 24 y who have been studied previously, 3 y ago.


RESULTS
The IUGR group demonstrated a significant increase of body mass index (BMI) in comparison to controls between 21 and 24 y of age (4.8+/-7.7%, P=0.004 vs 0.8+/-6.7%, P=0.70). Percentage of total body fat mass was significantly higher in IUGR-born subjects than in controls (27.2+/-7.6 vs 22.0+/-7.3%, P=0.02). Fasting insulin was significantly higher in the IUGR group (7.5+/-3.8 vs 5.3+/-2.3 miccroU/ml, P=0.03). Surprisingly, crude serum leptin concentrations did not significantly differ between the two groups. Moreover, adjusted means of serum leptin levels were significantly lower in IUGR-born subjects than in controls when corrected for body fat mass, gender and fasting insulin (11.3 vs 13.8 ng/ml, P=0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Adults born with IUGR developed an excess of adipose tissue associated with relatively low serum leptin levels suggestive of an altered adipocyte function. Considering the close relationship between adipose tissue and insulin-sensitivity, these observations point to the potential implication of abnormal adipose tissue development in the long-term metabolic consequences associated with in-utero undernutrition.
Jaquet
D
D
INSERM Unit 457, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France. djacquet@infobiogen.fr
Gaboriau
A
A
Czernichow
P
P
Levy-Marchal
C
C
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000254:growth & development*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status
D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin