Correlation of leptin and soluble leptin receptor levels with anthropometric parameters in mother-newborn pairs

The aim of this study was to investigate if anthropometric parameters are associated with both leptin and soluble leptin receptor (sLEPR) levels in newborns and their mothers. This cross-sectional study was performed in 118 mother-newborn pairs. The venous blood sample of mothers was taken before delivery and immediately after delivery an umbilical cord blood sample was collected. Levels of leptin and sLEPR in maternal and umbilical cord sera were assessed by ELISA. Maternal serum concentration of leptin and sLEPR (6.2 and 25.7 ng/ml, respectively) were higher than in umbilical cord blood (2.4 and 14.2 ng/ml, respectively). However, the newborns and their mothers had higher sLEPR levels than leptin levels. In mothers was observed that leptin levels increase with weight gain in pregnancy and decreased sLEPR levels. Cord leptin levels correlated with neonatal birth weight and length, the body circumferences, placental weight and maternal leptin levels. Cord sLEPR levels correlated with maternal sLEPR and leptin levels. Maternal serum concentration of leptin correlated with pre-pregnancy BMI, weight gain, cord sLEPR and leptin levels. Maternal sLEPR concentration correlated with cord sLEPR levels. The leptin and sLEPR levels in mother-newborn pairs are related with anthropometric parameters and an inverse correlation between leptin levels and sLEPR was observed in pairs.