title: Serum leptin measured in early pregnancy is higher in women with preeclampsia compared with normotensive pregnant women.
abstract: Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, plays an important role in reproduction and angiogenesis. Studies examining leptin in preeclampsia are inconsistent, possibly because of small sample sizes and variability in sampling and outcome. We conducted a nested case-control study to examine associations between serum leptin (measured: 9-26 weeks gestation) and preeclampsia among 430 primiparous preeclamptic women and 316 primiparous normotensive controls from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Median (interquartile range) leptin concentrations were calculated. Associations between leptin and preeclampsia (blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg), term preeclampsia (preeclampsia and delivery ≥37 weeks gestation), or preterm preeclampsia (preeclampsia and delivery <37 weeks gestation) were examined using generalized linear models adjusting for body mass index, gestational age at blood draw, maternal age, smoking, and socio-occupational status. As leptin is increased in obese women and the risk of preeclampsia increases with body mass index, we used the Sobel test to examine whether leptin is a mediator of this relationship. After adjustments, leptin concentrations were significantly higher in women with preeclampsia (30.5 [24.6]; P=0.0117) and term preeclampsia (30.4 [24.9]; P=0.0228) compared with controls (20.9 [28.3]). There was no significant difference between preterm preeclampsia (30.6 [23.4]; P=0.2210) and controls. Leptin is a possible mediator of the association between body mass index and preeclampsia (P=0.0276). Leptin concentrations are higher in women with preeclampsia compared with normotensive controls and may mediate some of the relationship between body mass index and preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.). Taylor@sph.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Brandie D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.).
authors.forename: Roberta B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.).
authors.forename: Jørn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.).
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Hougaard
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.).
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skogstrand
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.).
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health (B.D.T., J.M.R., C.L.H.), and Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences (J.M.R.), University of Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station (B.D.T.); University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston (R.B.N.); Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (J.O.); Danish Centre for Neonatal Screening, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Genetics, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark (D.M.H., K.S.); Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA (J.M.R., C.L.H.); and Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Pittsburgh, PA (J.M.R.).
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Haggerty
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin
keywords: body mass index; hypertension; leptin; preeclampsia; pregnancy