title: Serum leptin levels in preterm, healthy and sick-term newborns.
abstract: Leptin, a hormone that signals the brain about the status of body (fat) energy stores, has recently been shown to play a role in the regulation of several hypothalamic pituitary axes, including the growth hormone axis. To investigate a potential association of serum leptin concentrations and clinical condition in preterm, sick term and healthy term newborns, serum leptin concentrations were evaluated in 104 newborns. Twenty-eight of them were healthy term (18 males and 10 females; gestational age, 37-42 weeks), 21 were sick term (12 males and 9 females; gestational age, 37-42 weeks) and 55 were preterm neonates (35 males and 20 females; gestational age: 26-37 weeks). Leptin values correlate positively with birth weight, birth length, head circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, body surface, weight/length ratio, and gestational age (r = 0.38, 0.42, 0.29, 0.21, 0.29, 0.40, 0.31 and 0.28), respectively. The concentrations of leptin are statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05) in term neonates (3.02 +/- 2.94 ng/ml) than preterm neonates (1.93 +/- 2.21 ng/ml). Female infants also have significantly higher (p < 0.05) serum leptin values than male infants in preterm and healthy term groups. We also found leptin present in venous blood after 26 weeks of gestation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, No. 110, Sec. 1, Chien-Kuo North. Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pen-Hua
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Shu-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jia-Yuh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cheng-Pin Chang
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Shu-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jian
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin