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Leptin levels tied to weight gain in central precocious puberty
In girls with central precocious puberty, elevated leptin levels at diagnosis may be a risk factor for increased BMI z score over the next year, study data show.
Jessie N. Zurita-Cruz, MD, MSc, from the unit for medical research in clinical epidemiology, National Medical Center XXI Century, Mexican Institute of Social Security, and colleagues evaluated 42 girls (median age, 7.2 years; median BMI z score, 1.14; median bone age, 10.5 years) with central precocious puberty; 26 in Tanner breast stage 2 and 16 in breast stage 3. Participants were evaluated at the time of diagnosis (baseline) and 12-month follow-up. Researchers sought to determine whether serum leptin levels are related to BMI z score.
Median BMI z score did not increase through follow-up. At 12-month follow-up, participants with BMI higher than the 95th percentile had a tendency toward decreased BMI z score (P = .3), whereas participants with BMI lower than the 94th percentile had a tendency toward increased BMI z score (P = .78).
Through follow-up, median body fat percentage increased from 24.2% at baseline to 28.2% at 12 months. At baseline, an association was found between body fat percentage and BMI z score (P = .02), but the relationship was no longer significant at the 12-month follow-up.
Leptin levels were a median 10.05 ng/mL in participants with Tanner stage 2 and 10.04 ng/mL in participants with Tanner stage 3. Through follow-up, leptin levels increased in all participants.
A positive correlation was found between leptin and BMI z score at baseline (P = .09) and 12 months (P = .05). At baseline, body fat percentage and leptin levels were positively related (P = .05); the correlation was not found at the 12-month follow-up.
The risk for increased BMI z score was increased with leptin levels of at least 10.5 ng/dL (P = .018).
“In girls with [central precocious puberty], leptin increases in the first 12 months after diagnosis without a correlation with increased body fat percentage or [BMI z score],” the researchers wrote. “It appears that increased serum leptin at diagnosis is a risk factor for increasing [BMI z score] at 1-year of follow-up. Thus, if similar findings are obtained in future studies, leptin measurements should be included at the time of [central precocious puberty] diagnosis as a predictor of increased [BMI z score].” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.