Placental Leptin Correlates with Intrauterine Fetal Growth and Development / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the role of placental leptin in intrauterine cord leptin production and its relationship with neonatal anthropometry. Methods Forty women and their babies were enrolled in this study. Placental tissue was obtained from mothers and assayed for leptin mRNA by reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT/PCR). Blood was taken from the umbilical cord of the babies at delivery. Serum leptin was measured by radio-immunoassay. Neonatal anthropometric measurements were recorded within 48 hours after delivery. Linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between placental leptin mRNA, serum leptin concentrations and anthropometric measures. Results Placental tissue expressed leptin mRNA at comparable or greater levels than adipose tissue. The placenta of the small for gestational age (SGA) neonates expressed leptin mRNA at significantly lower levels than that of the appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates (P=0.042), while the placenta of the large for gestational age (LGA) neonates expressed leptin mRNA at significantly higher levels than that of the AGA neonates (P=0.03). Placental leptin mRNA expression levels correlated with leptin concentrations in cord blood (r=0.61), newborn birth weight (r=0.60) and Ponderal Index (r=0.56). Conclusions Placenta provides a source of leptin for the growing fetus, and this placental leptin might be a growth factor in intrauterine fetal development.