Serum levels of adiponectin and leptin in children born small for gestational age relative to insulin sensivity parameters and growth factors

MARTIN S, MUÑOZ L, OCHETTI M, SOBRERO G, SILVANO L, CASTRO L, TOLOSA DE TALAMONI N, PÉREZ A, ONASSIS M, PICOTTO G, DÍAZ DE BARBOZA G, MIRAS M

Estambul, Turquia

Congreso; Annual Meeting of the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology; 2008

ESPE

Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are more prone to developing obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin and leptin are fat cell-derived proteins and have been associated with insulin sensitivity. The physiological role of these adipocytokines is yet to be completely determined. To relate adiponectin and leptin levels with insulin sensitivity parameters we compared children born SGA with and without catch-up growth (SGA wCUG; SGA nCUG ) with a control group of healthy children who were appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Twenty three SGA wCUG;,children of mean age of 7.0 years, height SDS -0.88; 26 SGA nCUG, mean age of 6.1 years, height SDS -2.27; and 48 AGA prepubertal children, mean age of 7.2 years, height SDS -0.16 were examined. Adiponectin, proinsulin, leptin, IGF-I, IGFBP-1, GHBP, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-B were determined. Analysis of variance and Spearman correlation were used. SGA children of both sexes had similar adiponectin values; AGA girls had higher adiponectin values (p=0.03). Leptin values were higher in children born SGAcg (p=0.05) and the correlation with insulin sensitivity parameters was similar to that of AGA children. Leptin showed differences relative to sex in the three groups analyzed.Our study shows that prepubertal children born SGA have adiponectin levels comparable to those of control children, independently of catch-up growth. Higher leptin levels in SGAcg group and its correlation with insulin sensitivity parameters suggest a leptin resistance as an adaptive mechanism to increase their energy balance; however, an altered functional response of adipocytes secondary to foetal malnutrition cannot be discarded.