Serum Adiponectin Concentrations in Newborn Infants in Early Postnatal Life

Abstract

Serum adiponectin levels were investigated in 28 small-forgestational-age (SGA) and 34 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) term neonates to examine how fetal growth correlates with adiponectin levels. A blood sample for determination of adiponectin was obtained during the first 24 h of life. The levels of serum adiponectin were significantly higher in all newborn infants than in healthy children (28.7 Ϯ 17.0 versus 9.3 Ϯ 6.1 g/mL; p Ͻ 0.01). There was a significant difference in adiponectin levels between SGA and AGA infants (23.2 Ϯ 14.8 versus 33.2 Ϯ 17.5 g/mL; p ϭ 0.02). For all of the newborn groups, serum adiponectin levels correlated positively with birth weight (r ϭ 0.27, p Ͻ 0.05) and head circumference (r ϭ 0.30, p Ͻ 0.05). There was no relationship between serum adiponectin levels and gestational age, birth length, blood glucose levels, or blood sampling time after birth. There was no gender difference in adiponectin levels in the entire newborn group (30.0 Ϯ 19.7 versus 28.0 Ϯ 15.5 g/mL, in male and female infants). Our results suggest that hyperadiponectinemia and a positive relationship between the serum levels of adiponectin and birth weight in newborns cannot be explained by the low percentage of body fat alone. Lower adiponectin levels in SGA infants than in AGA infants are unlikely to suggest insulin resistance in intrauterine growth-retarded infants in early postnatal life but may be a predisposing factor in the future development of insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein derived from adipose tissue in humans, and serum adiponectin levels are paradoxically reduced in obese individuals (1). Decreased concentrations of adiponectin are also seen in patients with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes (2). Insulin-sensitizing agents such as thiazolidinediones increase adiponectin concentrations in humans (3) and in animals (4), whereas administration of adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity in animals (4). However, intrauterine growth retardation is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (5,6). To explain this association, the concept of "reprogramming" was introduced (7): fetal adaptation to an adverse intrauterine environment determines an altered programming of endocrine pathways, leading to permanent metabolic changes, including insulin resistance. The present study was undertaken to examine how different intrauterine growth patterns relate to adiponectin secretion in early neonatal life. METHODS Infants.Thirty-four newborns (20 boys and 14 girls) with appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) birth weight (relative birth weight below ϩ2 or above Ϫ2 SD) and 28 (16 boys and 12 girls) with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth weight (relative birth weight, Ϫ2 or less SD) were included in the study (Table 1). All neonates had no asphyxia at birth and were found to be well on physical examination performed at the time of blood sampling. All infants in both groups were breast-fed, with similar frequencies ranging from 3 to...

Relation between fetal anthropometric parameters and cord blood adiponectin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in gestational diabetes mellitus

“…In adults, adiponectin concentration is inversely related to adiposity, but its association with adiposity is poorly understood (9,11,13). Some studies indicate a positive correlation between cord plasma adiponectin concentration and adiposity in infants (8,12,14,(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) and some have found no significant correlation (9,15).…”

Association of adiponectin polymorphism with cord blood adiponectin concentrations and intrauterine growth

“…11 Recent studies have shown that cord blood adiponectin concentrations are correlated positively with birth weight, suggesting that fetal adiponectin levels are likely to influence fetal growth. 8,10,27,28 MazakiTovi et al 29 have reported that the cord blood adiponectin concentration in the smaller neonate of discordant twins is lower than that in the larger counterpart.…”

“…Furthermore, we confirmed previous findings of no gender difference in adiponectin levels. 8,10,11,28 Serum adiponectin levels are known to be inversely correlated with body fat mass in adolescents and adults, whereas cord blood adiponectin concentrations are positively correlated with birth weight s.d. score, mostly determined by fat mass.…”

“…[8][9][10] Our previous study demonstrated that the serum adiponectin levels on the first day of life were significantly higher in appropriate-for-gestational-age birth weight (AGA) than in small-for-gestational-age birth weight (SGA) term neonates. 11 Although adiponectin levels in the cord blood of term infants are extensively higher than in children or adults, its exact physiological role in regulating intrauterine fetal growth has not been fully elucidated. 8,9,12 On the other hand, epidemiological studies have revealed that there is a relationship between fetal growth retardation and the subsequent development of insulin resistance later in life.…”

A commentary on Association of adiponectin polymorphism with cord blood adiponectin concentrations and intrauterine growth

“…In an earlier work, this research team demonstrated that serum adiponectin levels in the first day of life were significantly higher in AGA neonates than in those born with small for gestational age (SGA) birth weight. 6 These previous data likely reinforced the potential role of adiponectin in prenatal growth. On the other hand, it is also possible that the lower levels of adiponectin found in SGA neonates as observed in that study are just a consequence of fetal growth impairment.…”