Leptin and pre-eclampsia in black African parturients.
OBJECTIVE
To measure serum concentrations of the hormone leptin during late pregnancy in Black African women with pre-eclampsia, healthy normotensive pregnant women as controls and healthy normotensive non-pregnant women; secondly, to explore the relationship between leptin and obesity.


METHODS
Observational, cross sectional study.


METHODS
Antenatal clinics, antenatal wards, gynaecology out patient and family planning clinics of a tertiary hospital, Durban, South Africa.


METHODS
Pregnant and non-pregnant Black African women.


METHODS
Serum leptin was measured by a homologous radio-immunoassay technique. Simple anthropometric parameters were used to explore the relationship between leptin and obesity. In each group, leptin levels were compared between obese (body mass index, BMI > or = 30 kg m(-2)) and lean women.


METHODS
Serum leptin concentrations, anthropometric parameters, mean blood pressures and proteinuria.


RESULTS
There were 68 women with pre-eclampsia, 92 healthy normotensive pregnant women (controls) and 32 healthy normotensive non-pregnant women. Serum leptin levels were higher in pregnant compared with non-pregnant women [26.66 (1.96) and 25.89 (1.65) vs 17.97 (2.11) ng/mL, P = 0.02]. Weight and BMI showed the greatest correlation with leptin both in pregnant (r = 0.61 and r = 0.58, respectively) and non-pregnant women (r = 0.74 and 0.79, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mean concentrations of leptin between women with and those without pre-eclampsia [26.66 (1.96) vs 25.89 (1.65) ng/mL, respectively, P = 0.95].


CONCLUSIONS
Pregnancy is a hyperleptinaemic state. There is no difference in serum leptin levels between Black African women with pre-eclampsia and healthy normotensive pregnant women. Serum leptin concentration is largely determined by the degree of adiposity.
Kafulafula
G E
GE
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Moodley
J
J
Ojwang
P J
PJ
Kagoro
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010298:Parity; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology
D020738:Leptin