leptin and Body-Weight-Trajectory

Background: Leptin is a hormone regulating lifetime energy homeostasis and metabolism and its concentration is important starting from prenatal life. We aimed to investigate the association of perinatal leptin concentrations with growth trajectories during the first year of life. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal study, measuring leptin concentration in maternal plasma before delivery, cord blood (CB), and mature breast milk and correlating their impact on neonate’s bodyweight from birth to 1 year of age, in 16 full-term (FT), 16 preterm (PT), and 13 intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) neonates. Results: Maternal leptin concentrations were highest in the PT group, followed by IUGR and FT, with no statistical differences among groups (p = 0.213). CB leptin concentrations were significantly higher in FT compared with PT and IUGR neonates (PT vs. FT; IUGR vs. FT: p < 0.001). Maternal milk leptin concentrations were low, with no difference among groups. Maternal leptin and milk concentrations were negatively associated with all the neonates’ weight changes (p = 0.017 and p = 0.006), while the association with CB leptin was not significant (p = 0.051). Considering each subgroup individually, statistical analysis confirmed the previous results in PT and IUGR infants, with the highest value in the PT subgroup. In addition, this group’s results negatively correlated with CB leptin (p = 0.026) and showed the largest % weight increase. Conclusions: Leptin might play a role in neonatal growth trajectories, characterized by an inverse correlation with maternal plasma and milk. PT infants showed the highest correlation with hormone levels, regardless of source, seeming the most affected group by leptin guidance. Low leptin levels appeared to contribute to critical neonates’ ability to recover a correct body weight at 1 year. An eventual non-physiological “catch-up growth” should be monitored, and leptin perinatal levels may be an indicative tool. Further investigations are needed to strengthen the results.

Topics: Birth Weight; Body-Weight Trajectory; Female; Fetal Growth Retardation; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Leptin; Longitudinal Studies; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies

Excess body weight confers a high risk to human health. Body weight variation between subjects can be partially explained by genetic differences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of genetic variants in the ADIPOQ (rs2241766) and LEP (rs7799039) genes with body weight trajectories in children from birth to 6 years of age. This was a prospective cohort (PREDI Study). Socio-economic, biological and anthropometric data were collected at four time points: at birth in the maternity unit; 1-2, 4-5 and 6 years old at the participants' homes. Genotyping was performed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Poisson regression and linear mixed-effect regression models were used to address the association of ADIPOQ and LEP genotypes with BMI. Excessive body weight at pre-pregnancy (β = 0·339, P = 0·01) and excessive gestational weight gain (β = 0·51, P < 0·001) were associated with children's BMI trajectory from birth to 6 years. The ADIPOQ-rs2241766 TG or GG genotype was associated with a higher risk of excess body weight in the first 6 years of life (both sexes relative risk 1·25, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·56; female relative risk 1·67, 95 % CI 1·20, 2·31). BMI increased over the years according to the presence of the TG or GG genotype (β = 0·01, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·02), particularly in females (β = 0·02, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·04). The ADIPOQ-rs2241766 TG and GG genotypes increased the risk of excess body weight in children from birth to 6 years of age and had a positive effect on body weight trajectories in girls. The LEP-rs7799039 genetic variant was not associated with body weight trajectory in children.

Topics: Adiponectin; Adult; Body-Weight Trajectory; Brazil; Child; Child, Preschool; Cohort Studies; Female; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Gestational Weight Gain; Humans; Infant; Leptin; Linear Models; Male; Obesity; Poisson Distribution; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Pregnancy

The objective of the study was to investigate the potential association of human milk leptin concentrations with child body mass index (BMI) and BMI trajectory patterns up to two years of age among children in the Ulm SPATZ Health Study. Leptin concentration was measured in skimmed human milk by ELISA (R&D System). Child BMI was determined at two to three days, three to four weeks, four to five months, one year, and two years of age. In SPATZ, leptin concentration at six weeks was inversely associated with child BMI at four to five weeks [beta -0.13, 95%CI -0.21;-0.05)] and at three to four months -0.12 -0.21;-0.03)]. Among infants of average BMI shortly after delivery, six week leptin was positively associated with greater increase in BMI from four to five weeks up to two years of age [0.16 (0.04;0.27)]. No associations were observed for six month leptin. Direction of association was the same in the Ulm Birth Cohort Study (UBCS), but statistically insignificant as the point estimate included the null effect value. Our results from SPATZ suggest human milk leptin may play a role in early infant growth. However, it is plausible that the lack of associations in UBCS suggest that these differences of human milk leptin composition between populations could have an impact in infant growth and development in a given population.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Body Mass Index; Body-Weight Trajectory; Breast Feeding; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Female; Germany; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Leptin; Male; Milk, Human; Nutritive Value; Young Adult