Association Between Maternal and Child Leptin Levels 9 Years After Pregnancy Complicated by Gestational Diabetes

M. P. Malee; A. Verma; G. Messerlian; R. Tucker; B. R. Vohr

doi:10.1055/s-2002-26713

Hormone and Metabolic Research, Table of Contents

Horm Metab Res 2002; 34(4): 212-216
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-26713

Original Clinical

Association Between Maternal and Child Leptin Levels 9 Years After Pregnancy Complicated by Gestational Diabetes

M. P. Malee ¹ , A. Verma ² , G. Messerlian ¹ , R. Tucker ² , B. R. Vohr ²

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants' Hospital, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
² Department of Pathology and Pediatrics, Women and Infants' Hospital, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Abstract

Obesity is a state of relative leptin resistance, and obesity in childhood is associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes in later life. Offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at increased risk of obesity. A cohort consisting of 64 mothers, 33 GDM and 31 controls screened for diabetes during the index pregnancy together with their 9-year-old offspring were studied. Our hypotheses were: 1) an elevated child leptin is associated with elevated maternal leptin in GDM mothers 9 years post delivery; and 2) child leptin at 9 years serves as a marker for incipient insulin resistance. By univariate analyses, child leptins were only significantly correlated with maternal leptins among the offspring of GDMs (OGDM) (r = 0.59; p = 0.001). By multivariate analyses, child leptin for the total study group was significantly associated with child body mass index (BMI) (R² = 0.65; p < 0.0001), child fasting insulin (R² = 0.08; p = 0.03), and female gender (R² = 0.28; p = 0.001). In addition, among OGDM child leptin was associated with maternal leptin (R² = 0.14; p = 0.005). Our results suggest that there is an association between maternal and child leptin levels 9 years after a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes.

Key words

Childhood - Leptin - Insulin Resistance - Pregnancy - Cholesterol - Body Mass Index

Full Text

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M. P. Malee, M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants' Hospital ·

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Phone: + 1 (401) 274-1122, ext. 2344 ·

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