title: Serum leptin levels in healthy adolescents: Effects of gender and growth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this paper were to evaluate the serum leptin levels in healthy adolescents and to establish standard age variation curves.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred six (414 boys and 492 girls) healthy adolescents were investigated. The maximum increment age in height (MIA) was identified in 124 boys and 130 girls. The menarcheal age (MA) was obtained for 130 girls. Fasting leptin levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay. The MIA was calculated by proportional allotment of yearly height increments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum leptin levels did not change in boys and girls from the ages of 9 to 11. They decreased after the age of 11 in boys, while they increased in girls. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that serum leptin levels were closely related to pubertal stage. The levels decreased remarkably after MIA in boys and increased remarkably after MA in girls. We drew standard age variation curves of serum leptin levels by calculating the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles for each age in both boys and girls. The percentile curves for boys were divided into pre-MIA and post-MIA curves. Those for girls were divided into pre-MA and post-MA curves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have devised a potentially useful method for evaluating serum leptin levels in adolescents considering the effects of gender and growth.
authors: Department of Hygiene, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, 641-8509, Wakayama, Japan, wtiankui@hotmail.com.
authors: Tiankui
authors: T
authors: Wang
authors: Ikuharu
authors: I
authors: Morioka
authors: Yoshiaki
authors: Y
authors: Gowa
authors: Yuko
authors: Y
authors: Igarashi
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Miyai
authors: Hiroichi
authors: H
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Mikio
authors: M
authors: Arita
authors: Shintaro
authors: S
authors: Takeda
authors: Kazuhisa
authors: K
authors: Miyashita