title: Accumulation of subcutaneous fat, but not visceral fat, is a predictor of adiponectin levels in preterm infants at term-equivalent age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm infants have altered fat tissue development, including a higher percentage of fat mass and increased volume of visceral fat. They also have altered adiponectin levels, including a lower ratio of high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-Ad) to total adiponectin (T-Ad) at term-equivalent age, compared with term infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate the association between adiponectin levels and fat tissue accumulation or distribution in preterm infants at term-equivalent age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study subjects were 53 preterm infants born at ≤34weeks gestation with a mean birth weight of 1592g.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of T-Ad and HMW-Ad were measured and a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed at the level of the umbilicus at term-equivalent age to analyze how fat tissue accumulation or distribution was correlated with adiponectin levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T-Ad (r=0.315, p=0.022) and HMW-Ad levels (r=0.338, p=0.013) were positively associated with subcutaneous fat area evaluated by performing CT scan at term-equivalent age, but were not associated with visceral fat area in simple regression analyses. In addition, T-Ad (β=0.487, p=0.003) and HMW-Ad levels (β=0.602, p<0.001) were positively associated with subcutaneous fat tissue area, but they were not associated with visceral fat area also in multiple regression analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subcutaneous fat accumulation contributes to increased levels of T-Ad and HMW-Ad, while visceral fat accumulation does not influence adiponectin levels in preterm infants at term-equivalent age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: nakano_yt_tulip@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itabashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoichiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Madoka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazushige
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dobashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000273:Adipose Tissue; D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D047928:Premature Birth; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin
keywords: Adiponectin; Postnatal growth; Preterm infants; Subcutaneous fat; Visceral fat