Leptin Levels in Obese Children: Effects of
Gender, Weight Reduction and Androgens
R. PILCOVÁ, J. ŠULCOVÁ, M.
HILL, P. BLÁHA2, L. LISÁ1
Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, 1First
Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Motol,
Prague, and 2Department of Anthropology and
Genetics, Faculty of Nature Sciences, Charles University,
Prague, Czech Republic
Received February 6, 2002
Accepted April 24, 2002
Summary
Obesity in children is accompanied by increased circulating
leptin concentrations. Girls have higher leptin concentrations
than boys. The aim of our study was to compare serum leptin
levels before and after a five-week weight reduction program and
to study the relationship of leptin levels, serum total
cholesterol, and androgens (testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone,
dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) in 33 obese boys (age:
12.71.97 years, BMI: 30.46±4.54) and 66 obese girls (age:
12.7±2.51 years, BMI: 29.31±4.62). We found that serum leptin
concentrations in obese children were significantly decreased
after a weight reduction program (before 20.79±9.61 ng/ml, after
13.50±8.65 ng/ml in girls; before 12.25±10.09 ng/ml and after
5.18±3.56 ng/ml in boys, p<0.0001 in both genders). Leptin
levels correlated positively with the body mass index before and
after weight reduction. There was a positive association in
obese boys and a negative one in obese girls between leptin
levels and the WHR (waist to hip circumference ratio). Serum
leptin also shows a strong relationship to fat distribution (p =
0.02 in boys, p<0.0001 in girls). No significant correlation was
found between leptin concentrations and total cholesterol or
androgens. We confirmed that leptin is a sensitive parameter of
body composition and weight reduction in obese children.
Key
words
Leptin • Children • Obesity • Androgens
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Renata Pilcová, M.D., Institute of Endocrinology, Národní třída
8, 116 94 Prague 1, Czech Republic. E-mail:
pilcova@hotmail.com
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