title: [Serum insulin, leptin and growth hormone levels are associated with body mass index and obesity index in adolescents].
abstract: Leptin, insulin and growth hormone levels seem to regulate body composition, fat distribution and fat mass. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among insulin, leptin and growth hormone levels in a group of adolescents. Ninety five adolescents (31 boys and 64 girls) between 13 and 18 y. of age were studied. A medical and nutritional history was made which included body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous skinfolds measurements. Basal levels of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C, leptin, insulin and growth hormone were determined. The leptin and insulin levels were positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and obesity index (OBI). Insulin, leptin and obesity markers were negatively associated with growth hormone level. Fifty two percent of the adolescents with BMI = 21.09 kg/m2 were considered metabolically obese because they had elevated levels of insulin (18.68 +/- 1.52 vs. 10.08 +/- 0.38 microU/ml), HOMA IR (3.34 +/- 0.24 vs. 1.76 +/- 0.07), leptin (16.30 +/- 1.24 vs. 8.11 +/- 1.32 ng./dl) and triglycerides (78.56 +/- 4.38 vs. 64.39 +/- 5.48 mg/dl) and lower levels of HDL-C (39.09 +/- 1.27 vs. 43.30 +/- 2.38 mg/dl), compared with normal group. The same alterations were observed in the obese group, in which significative decrease in growth hormone level was added. We conclude that hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia and low growth hormone levels, may be established as risk factors related to obesity markers, lipid alterations and insulin resistance that can lead to an early development of Type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas Dr. Américo Negrette, Sección de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina. Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Emperatriz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molero-Conejo
authors.forename: Luz Marina
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Xiomara
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Raleigh
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: Lissette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Maria Esther
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gómnez
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ryder
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005947:Glucose