Ghrelin, leptin, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and insulin concentrations at birth: is there a relationship with fetal growth and neonatal anthropometry?
BACKGROUND
Insulin, growth hormone (GH), and growth factors (insulin-like growth factors [IGFs] and their binding proteins [IGFBPs]) are known to influence fetal growth and also the synthesis/secretion of the recently discovered hormones leptin and ghrelin.


METHODS
In 153 delivering mothers and their offspring at birth, we prospectively investigated the association between mothers' and babies' serum concentrations of ghrelin, leptin, insulin, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 and neonatal anthropometric characteristics and the growth of the fetus. We also tried to put babies' serum glucose and GH measurements in this context.


RESULTS
Birth weight (BW), birth length, head circumference, and ponderal index (PI) were positively associated with cord IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and leptin and negatively associated with GH. BW was independently associated with maternal stature and prepartum weight, birth length with maternal stature, PI with maternal insulin and prepartum weight, and head circumference with maternal ghrelin. Compared with preterm infants whose development was appropriate for gestational age (AGA), preterm growth-restricted babies displayed alteration in GH-IGF axis (increased GH and low IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations), low leptin and glucose concentrations, and increased ghrelin concentrations. In large-for-gestational-age (LGA) babies, leptin, IGFBP-3, insulin, and glucose concentrations were significantly higher in asymmetric LGA newborns than in symmetric LGA and AGA newborns.


CONCLUSIONS
We found relationships between metabolic factors, fetal growth, and anthropometry. Intrauterine growth restriction involved alteration in the fetal GH-IGF axis, with relatively low leptin and glucose concentrations and increased ghrelin concentrations. Leptin, insulin, and IGFBP-3 delineated subtypes of fetal overgrowth.
Chiesa
Claudio
C
Department of Pediatrics, La Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 32400161 Rome, Italy. claudio.chiesa@uniroma1.it
Osborn
John F
JF
Haass
Cristina
C
Natale
Fabio
F
Spinelli
Marina
M
Scapillati
Eleonora
E
Spinelli
Angela
A
Pacifico
Lucia
L
D000886:Anthropometry; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000097:blood*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012044:Regression Analysis
D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D007328:Insulin; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D020738:Leptin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I