Associations of Maternal Leptin with Neonatal Adiposity Differ according to Pregravid Weight

Abstract

Background: During pregnancy, maternal circulating leptin is released by maternal adipose tissue and the placenta, and may have a role infetal development. Objectives: We investigated maternal leptinemia and glycemia associations with neonatal adiposity, taking into account pregravid weight status. Methods: We included 235 pregnant women from the Genetics of Glucose Regulation in Gestation and Growth prospective cohort with data: blood samples collected during the 2nd trimester, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and the measured leptin and glucose levels. As an integrated measure of maternal leptin exposure, we calculated the area under the curve for maternal leptin at the OGTT (AUC_leptin). Within 72 h of delivery, we measured the triceps, biceps, subscapular, and suprailiac skinfold thicknesses (SFTs); the sum of these SFTs represented neonatal adiposity. We conducted a regression analysis to assess the maternal metabolic determinants of neonatal adiposity, adjusting for parity, smoking status, maternal triglyceride levels, gestational weight gain, placental weight, delivery mode, neonate sex, and gestational age at delivery. Results: The pregravid BMI of the participating women was 23.3 (21.2-27.0). In the 2nd trimester, maternal AUC_leptin was 1,292.0 (767.0-2,222.5) (ng × min)/mL, and fasting glucose levels were 4.2 ± 0.4 mmol/L. At delivery, the neonatal sum of 4 SFTs was 17.9 ± 3.3 mm. Higher maternal leptinemia was associated with higher neonatal adiposity (β = 4.23 mm [SE = 1.77] per log-AUC_leptin; p = 0.02) in mothers with a BMI ≥25, independently of confounders and maternal glycemia, but not in mothers with a BMI <25. Higher maternal fasting glucose was associated with higher neonatal adiposity (β = 0.88 mm [SE = 0.30] per SD glucose; p = 0.005) in mothers with a BMI <25, independently of confounders and maternal leptinemia. Conclusion: Maternal leptinemia may be associated with neonatal adiposity in offspring from overweight/obese mothers, independently of maternal glycemia.

Body Composition During Pregnancy Differs by Obesity Class

“…Increased fat accumulation was strongly associated with changes in leptin concentrations during pregnancy. Therefore, increased leptin concentrations may provide an important mediator for the association between maternal and infant fat accumulation because maternal leptin concentrations have been associated with infant adiposity in multiple studies .…”

Serum Concentration of Leptin in Pregnant Adolescents Correlated with Gestational Weight Gain, Postpartum Weight Retention and Newborn Weight/Length

“…Correlation between the leptin concentration and the weight of the newborn was significant at the different times leptin concentration at Gestation Week 28 has the greatest association with the weight of the newborn compared to the leptin concentration at Gestation Week 32 and 36. This can be understood more clearly when considering the proposal of Patenaude J et al [ 34 ], who stated that maternal leptin concentration in the second trimester is involved in adiposity of the neonate, especially in mothers who are overweight before pregnancy.…”

Clinical -anthropometric and laboratory parameters of newborns from mothers with impaired glucose metabolism

“…Пациенты с ожирением продолжают «переедать», несмотря на повышенный уровень лептина, что свидетельствует о нарушении у них механизма обратной связи в системе «лептин -рецептор лептина». Лептин играет важную роль в регуляции метаболизма и функций нейроэндокринной системы, включая гипофиз, гипоталамус, надпочечники, иммунную систему [16,17].…”

“…Индекс свободного лептина 12,5 [3,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]5] 5,1 [2,[3][4][5][6][7][8]6] >0,05…”