Plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations in healthy, non-obese children.

Background: Alterations in plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations are associated with an adverse metabolic profile in obese children.

Objective: To simultaneously assess multiple factors with possible effects on plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations in healthy, non-obese children.

Subjects: We studied 170 healthy non-obese children (86 males, age 10+1.5 years), with available medical records from birth.

Methods: Plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations were assessed by immunoassay. The ratio of current weight/birth weight (WBWR) was used as an index of children growth from birth. Children's intensity of physical activity and parental characteristics were also assessed.

Results: Leptin was positively associated with WBWR (p<0.0001); parental smoking (analysis of variance, ANOVA; p-=0.03) and parental obesity (ANOVA; p<0.001) were negatively associated with breastfeeding (p<0.01) and children's access to exercise (p<0.0001). Adiponectin was negatively associated with WBWR (p<0.0001) and parental smoking (p=0.04), with an additive negative effect of parental smoking status and parental obesity on children's adiponectin levels (ANOVA; p=0.02).

Conclusions: Children's and parental factors are related and could possibly influence leptin and adiponectin concentrations in healthy non-obese children. Early preventive strategies that target both children and parents could improve the profile of adipocytokine in these children.