Serum leptin levels during childhood and adolescence: relationship with age, sex, adiposity and puberty

• Published in: Turkish journal of pediatrics Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 447 - 455
• Main Authors: Kirel, B, Doğruel, N, Akgün, N, Kiliç, F S, Tekin, N, Uçar, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkey Türk Pediatri Derneği 01.10.1999
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Amino acids, peptides and proteins; Aminoasitler, peptidler ve proteinler; Body Mass Index; Child; Child, Preschool; Childhood; Cinsiyet faktörleri; Ergenlik; Ergenlik çağı; Erişkin; Female; Fizyolojik süreçler; Hormones, hormone substitutes and hormone antagonists; Hormonlar, hormon substitütleri ve hormon antagonistleri; Humans; Infant; Leptin; Leptin - blood; Male; Obesity; Obezite; Physiological processes; Puberty; Puberty - blood; Reproductive and urinary physiology; Sex Factors; Skinfold Thickness; Somatotypes; Süt çocuğu; Vücut kütle indeksi; Yaş faktörleri; Çocuk, okul öncesi; Çocukluk çağı; Üreme ve üriner sistem fizyolojisi
• ISSN: 0041-4301

We studied serum leptin levels in 189 healthy children to evaluate related factors during childhood and adolescence. Leptin correlated with body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold thickness (p<0.001) and body weight (p<0.01). Obese children and girls had higher leptin levels than non-obese children and boys, respectively (p<0.001). In girls, leptin correlated positively with age, skinfold thickness and BMI (p<0.001). In boys, leptin correlated negatively with age (p<0.001) and positively with skinfold thickness (p<0.05). Prepubertal boys had higher leptin levels than prepubertal girls and pubertal boys (p<0.05). Pubertal girls had higher leptin levels than prepubertal girls and pubertal boys (p<0.001). Leptin levels in girls were higher at Tanner stages 4 and 5 than at stage 1 (p<0.001). In conclusion, serum leptin levels are related with adiposity, have obviously age-related gender differences during childhood and adolescence, and may be involved in the maturation of reproductive capacity.