Neonatal Cord Blood Leptin: Concentrations Relationship to Gender and Birth Weight

Choi, Young Youn; Cho, Chang Yee; Song, Tae Bok

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Leptin, the protein product of ob gene, is produced by the adipocyte and seems to function as a link between adiposity, satiety, and activity. To investigate the effect of leptin on fetal growth, serum leptin concentrations of 80 pairs of mothers and their newborns were measured.
METHODS
Eighty pairs of single pregnant mothers and their newborns were enrolled in this study. Maternal and baby's anthropometric measures were done. Radioimmunoassay was performed for leptin on maternal venous and newborn cord blood. We divided the newborns into two groups according to sex, birth weight, gestational age and the presence of maternal diabetes. We investigated the correlation between cord blood leptin and sex, birth weight and gestational age, and investigated the correlation between maternal and cord blood leptin concentrations.
RESULTS
Maternal leptin concentrations at delivery was 10.9 +/- 10.3 ng/mL and cord blood leptin concentrations were 7.0 +/- 6.1 ng/mL. Serum leptin concentrations in cord blood were positively correlated with birth weight (r=0.31, P<0.05) and gestational age (r=0.36, P<0.01). Serum leptin concentrations of females were significantly higher than those of males (8.5 +/- 1.2 vs 5.8 +/- 0.72 ng/mL, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in leptin concentrations between newborns of DM mothers and those of normal mothers. Cord blood leptin concentrations were not correlated with maternal leptin concentrations.
CONCLUSION
Serum leptin concentrations had gender difference and is significantly associated with the birth weight and gestational age. There was no correlation between maternal and cord blood leptin concentrations.