Leptin is closely related to body fat in prepubertal children aged 8-11 years.
BACKGROUND
In adults and obese children, serum leptin concentrations are closely related to body fat.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether such a relationship between leptin concentrations and body fat is also evident in children with a relatively normal body composition.


METHODS
The study was a cross-sectional population study in 170 Caucasian children (91 boys and 79 girls), with a mean age of 9.9+/-0.6 y (range 8.5-10.9 y) and a mean BMI of 17.4+/-2.6 (range 12.8-28.1). Serum leptin was measured and compared to total body fat as determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.


RESULTS
In the whole population, serum leptin concentrations were highly correlated with total body fat (r=0.83, p<0.001). A stepwise forward multi-regression analysis revealed that the inclusion of other anthropometrical data did not add any significance to the model. Leptin concentrations were significantly higher in girls (5.2 ng/ml) than in boys (3.2 mg/ml; p=0.003). Gender differences still prevailed (p=0.007) after adjusting for number of kilograms of fat tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that, already at the young age of 9-11 y, an adult-like pattern of regulation of leptin exists. This indicates similar risk factor dependency of leptin across all age groups.
Dencker
Magnus
M
Department of Clinical Sciences, University Hospital MAS, Malmö, Sweden. magnus.dencker@skane.se
Thorsson
Ola
O
Karlsson
Magnus K
MK
Lindén
Christian
C
Wollmer
Per
P
Ahrén
Bo
B
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology*; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People
D020738:Leptin