Effects of Gender, Ethnicity, Body Composition, and Fat Distribution on Serum Leptin Concentrations in Children1
Tim R. Nagy,
Barbara A. Gower,
Christina A. Trowbridge,
Carl Dezenberg,
Richard M. Shewchuk and
Michael I. Goran
Energy Metabolism Research Unit, Departments of Nutrition Sciences
(T.R.N., B.A.G., C.A.T., C.D., M.I.G.) and Health Services
Administration (R.M.S), School of Health-Related Professions,
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Tim R. Nagy, Ph.D., Department of Nutrition Sciences, Energy Metabolism Research Unit, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-3360. E-mail: tnagy{at}uab.edu
The Ob protein leptin has been shown to be closely correlatedwith
measures of body fat in humans and animals. Studies havesuggested that
there are both gender and ethnic differencesin serum leptin
concentrations, even after controlling for totaland relative body fat
and body mass index. We hypothesized thatgender and ethnic differences
in serum leptin concentrationsare due to differences in both body
composition and body fatdistribution. We measured fasting serum leptin
concentration,body composition (fat mass and fat-free mass by dual
energyx-ray absorptiometry), and body fat distribution (intraabdominal
andsc abdominal adipose tissue by computed tomography) in 74
prepubertalboys and girls (43 African-Americans and 31 Caucasians).
Ourresults showed that gender differences in serum leptin
concentrationscould not be fully explained by differences in body mass
index,total fat mass, or relative body composition. However, when
serumleptin concentrations were adjusted for differences in relative
bodycomposition (fat mass and fat-free mass) and body fat distribution
(scand intraabdominal adipose tissue), gender no longer had an
independenteffect on the serum leptin concentration. Serum leptin
concentrationswere not influenced by ethnicity. Thus, when comparing
groupdifferences in serum leptin concentrations, it is necessaryto
adequately control for group differences in body compositionand fat
distribution.
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