title: Serum leptin concentrations in children with mild and moderate malnutrition.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous studies have reported a strong relationship between plasma leptin concentration and percentage of body fat, fat mass, and body mass index (BMI) in obese and non-obese children. The objective of the present study was to assess the usefulness of serum leptin concentration in disclosing prepubertal malnutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Leptin concentrations in serum were determined and anthropometric parameters were measured in 149 children (3-6 and 7-10 years old). The Cole index of nutritional status was calculated. 44 children (I) presented with long-standing malnutrition due to celiac disease or food allergy and 105 children (II) were healthy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leptin concentrations in both age groups of undernourished boys (median 2.7 and 2.7 microg/L) and in younger undernourished girls (median 4.2 microg/L) did not differ from concentrations in healthy children (median 2.9, 2.9, and 3.4 microg/L, respectively). Leptin concentrations in older undernourished girls were significantly lower than in healthy girls (median 4.2 vs. 8.8 microg/L, respectively; p < 0.05) of comparable age. In healthy children, leptin levels correlated with gender, body mass, BMI, Cole ratio (r = 0.39-0.41, r = 0.33, r = 0.28, r = 0.22, respectively; p < 0.005), and height (r = 0.19; p < 0.05). Serum leptin concentrations in undernourished children correlated with gender, arm circumference, and BMI (r = 0.27-0.35, r = 0.27, r = 0.25, respectively; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that serum leptin concentration is not a useful indicator of mild and moderate malnutrition in prepubertal children.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Pielegniarstwa Pediatrycznego Pomorskiej Akademii Medycznej w Szczecinie ul. Zołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin.
authors.forename: Grazyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Czaja-Bulsa
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garanty-Bogacka
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gebala
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Syrenicz
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krupa
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin