title: Changes in serum adiponectin levels from birth to term-equivalent age are associated with postnatal weight gain in preterm infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adiponectin, one of the adipocytokines, is postulated to play a key role in fetal growth, probably enhancing the growth-promoting effect of insulin through insulin-sensitizing action.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine how different intrauterine or postnatal growth patterns relate to adiponectin secretion, we measured serum adiponectin concentrations in 30 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) and 19 small-for-gestational-age (SGA) preterm infants on the first day of life and at term-equivalent age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of adiponectin increased significantly in all preterm infants from birth to term-equivalent age. The adiponectin levels at term-equivalent age were significantly higher in the AGA than in the SGA group [mean (SD) 40.4 (12.3) vs. 28.4 (10.4) μg/ml; p < 0.01] after adjustment for gestational age or term-equivalent body weight. The increase in adiponectin levels from birth to term-equivalent age was significantly higher in the AGA than in the SGA group, and was positively correlated with the weight gain rate (g/kg/day) in the combined groups (r = 0.37, p < 0.01). A multiple regression analysis with the adiponectin increase from birth to term-equivalent age as the dependent variable for all the subjects revealed that only weight gain rate was independently associated with the adiponectin increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the change in serum adiponectin levels may reflect postnatal growth from birth to term-equivalent age in preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nozue
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyazono
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamoda
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D036801:Parturition / Q000097:blood*; D047929:Term Birth / Q000097:blood*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin