Serum leptin concentrations in children with mild protein-energy malnutrition and catch-up growth.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between changing nutritional anthropometric data and serum leptin concentrations during the catch-up growth process in children.


METHODS
Thirty children with mild protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) were followed for 6 months and their anthropometric measurements and serum leptin concentrations were recorded during follow up.


RESULTS
Twenty-two (73.3%) of the 30 children showed catch-up growth. All parameters and serum leptin concentrations increased during the period of catch-up growth. In the remaining eight children, weight for height, percentage standard body mass index, percentage standard body height and mean serum leptin concentrations did not show any significant increase at the 6 month follow-up. Mean serum leptin concentration was higher in children with catch-up growth than in the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
During recovery from malnutrition, leptin concentrations increase in relation to fat mass if the fat mass reaches a critical point, and leptin might trigger catch-up growth with its regulator effects on growth. Although weight gain was noted in both groups, an increase in leptin concentration was observed only in children who showed catch-up growth. More interestingly, the mean leptin concentration was much higher in children with PEM who had catch-up growth compared to the control group and in children who failed to have catch-up growth. In children with catch-up growth, the higher serum leptin concentrations compared to healthy children and to children without catch-up growth despite significant weight gain suggests that leptin affects nutritional status in catch-up growth as a dynamic process, rather than merely being an index of body fat content.
Büyükgebiz
Benal
B
Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Metabolism and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey.
Oztürk
Yesim
Y
Yilmaz
Sebnem
S
Arslan
Nur
N
D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood* / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
D020738:Leptin