Relationship of maternal plasma leptin and risk of pre-eclampsia: a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
We measured maternal plasma leptin concentrations in 55 women with pre-eclampsia and 487 normotensive women to determine whether elevated leptin concentrations were associated with the occurrence of pre-eclampsia.


METHODS
Maternal blood samples were collected at 13 weeks' gestation, on average. Plasma leptin concentrations were determined using immunoassay. Logistic regression procedures were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).


RESULTS
Leptin concentrations were 78% higher in cases than control subjects (median 34.6 vs. 19.5 ng/ml; p < 0.001). Relative to women with leptin concentrations of < 27.4 ng/ml, those with elevated leptin concentrations (> or = 27.4 ng/ml) experienced a 2.3-fold increased risk of pre-eclampsia (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.1-4.6). We observed evidence of a strong linear component of trend in risk of pre-eclampsia with increasing maternal plasma leptin concentration. Each 10-ng/ml increase in leptin concentration was associated with a 30% increase in pre-eclampsia risk (OR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.5). Overweight women with elevated leptin concentrations experienced the highest risk of pre-eclampsia (OR 6.4; 95% CI 3.1-13.2) as compared with lean women with no leptin elevations.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated plasma leptin concentration and maternal overweight status appear to be independently associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia.
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Y
Y
Ning
M A
MA
Williams
M
M
Muy-Rivera
W M
WM
Leisenring
D A
DA
Luthy
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008423:Maternal Age; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D020738:Leptin