Neonatal and Adolescent Adipocytokines as Predictors of Adiposity and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adolescence

Objective This study aimed to examine associations of changes in leptin and adiponectin concentrations from birth to age 12 years with adolescent adiposity and cardiometabolic risk in the Health Outcomes and Measures of Environment (HOME) Study, a prospective birth cohort (Cincinnati, Ohio; N = 166). Methods Adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed at age 12 years using anthropometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and fasting serum biomarkers. Cardiometabolic risk scores were calculated by summing age- and sex- standardized z scores for individual cardiometabolic risk factors. Results Most serum adipocytokine concentrations at birth were not associated with adiposity or cardiometabolic risk outcomes. Leptin and adiponectin concentrations at age 12 years were associated with all outcomes in the expected direction. Adolescents with increasing (beta: 4.2; 95% CI: 3.2 to 5.2) and stable (beta: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.2 to 3.2) leptin concentrations from birth to age 12 years had higher cardiometabolic risk scores than adolescents with decreasing concentrations (reference group). Adolescents with increasing (e.g., fat mass index = beta: -1.04; 95% CI: -1.27 to -0.80) and stable (beta: 0.66; 95% CI: -0.92 to -0.40) adiponectin/leptin ratios had more favorable adiposity outcomes than adolescents with decreasing ratios. Conclusions In this cohort, changes in leptin concentrations and adiponectin/leptin ratios over childhood were associated with adiposity and cardiometabolic risk scores, indicating that adipocytokine concentrations are potential biomarkers for predicting excess adiposity and cardiometabolic risk in adolescence.