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High plasma leptin predicts an increase in subcutaneous adiposity in children and adults

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 61, pages 719–726 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate the hypothesis that plasma leptin may predict adiposity changes.

Design:

A population-based cohort study.

Setting:

Fleurbaix and Laventie, in the north of France.

Subjects:

In all, 1175 subjects participated, of whom 946 completed measurements at baseline (1999) and follow-up (2001). After excluding 64 subjects obese at baseline, 882 subjects (478 adults, 404 children 8 years and over) were included in the analysis.

Interventions:

We measured plasma leptin concentrations at baseline and various adiposity parameters at baseline and follow-up. Partial correlation coefficients (rp) between baseline plasma leptin and each adiposity indicator at follow-up were calculated with adjustment for baseline age, pubertal stage, adiposity and familial correlations between siblings.

Results:

Changes in body mass index and percentage body fat were not related to baseline plasma leptin. High baseline plasma leptin predicted an increase (rp (P-value)) in the sum of the four skinfolds (0.18 (<0.0001)), the waist circumference (0.16 (0.0003)) and the waist-to-hip ratio (0.29 (<0.0001)) in adults only, and in the hip circumference in adults (0.20 (<0.0001)) and children (0.22 (<0.0001)). After adjustment for a set of four adiposity variables at baseline (percentage body fat, skinfolds, waist and hip circumferences), baseline plasma leptin predicted only changes in the sum of the four skinfolds in adults (0.15 (0.001)), with similar tendency although not significant in children (0.08 (0.13)).

Conclusions:

A high leptin relative to baseline fat mass predicts fat mass gain over time, mainly in the subcutaneous location.

Sponsorship:

Supported by Knoll, Centre d'Etudes et de Documentation du Sucre (CEDUS), Groupe Fournier, Lesieur, Nestlé France, Produits Roche, Le Centre d'Information Scientifique sur la Bière (CISB).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the directors and teachers of the schools who made the study possible. MA Charles received grants from the French Speaking Association for the Study of Diabetes and Metabolism (ALFEDIAM) and from the Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (MGEN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM U 780, IFR 69, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France

    A Kettaneh, B Heude, B Balkau, P Ducimetière & M A Charles

  2. Department of Nutrition, University Hospital, Lille, France

    M Romon

  3. Department of Nutrition, Hotel-Dieu Hospital, EA 3502, University Paris VI, Paris, France

    J M Oppert

  4. Association Fleurbaix-Laventie Ville Santé, Laventie, France

    J M Borys

Authors
  1. A Kettaneh
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  2. B Heude
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  8. M A Charles
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M A Charles.

Additional information

Guarantors: A Kettaneh and MA Charles.

Contributors: MAC is principal investigator of FLVSII study and worked on the design, data collection and data analysis. She supervised writing of the manuscript. AK performed statistical analyses and wrote the manuscript. BH and MR participated in data analysis and reviewed the manuscript. JMO, JMB, BB and PD participated in the conception and design of the study and reviewed the manuscript.

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Kettaneh, A., Heude, B., Romon, M. et al. High plasma leptin predicts an increase in subcutaneous adiposity in children and adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 61, 719–726 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602579

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602579

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