Gender-specific reference intervals for cord blood leptin in Crete, Greece
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026
Sample Preparation to Bioinformatics Analysis of DNA Methylation: Association Strategy for Obesity and Related Trait Studies
Published on: May 6, 2022
Polyxeni Karakosta1, Vaggelis Georgiou, Eleni Fthenou
1Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, PO Box 2208, 71003 Heraklion, Greece. p_karakosta@hotmail.com
Insights
Cord leptin levels, a marker for fetal growth, show distinct ranges for males and females. Establishing gender-specific reference intervals is crucial for early childhood obesity detection.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Cord leptin is a key biomarker for fetal growth and adiposity.
- It plays a role in predicting infant weight gain and childhood obesity.
- Establishing normative data is essential for clinical interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine gender-specific reference intervals for cord blood leptin.
- To analyze cord blood leptin levels in healthy neonates in Greece.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the prospective mother-child cohort 'Rhea' study.
- Included 398 neonates meeting strict maternal and fetal criteria.
- Calculated gender-specific reference intervals for cord blood leptin.
Main Results:
- Established male reference interval: 1.4-18.2 ng/mL.
- Established female reference interval: 2.0-25.8 ng/mL.
- Females exhibited significantly higher median leptin levels (7.4 ng/mL) than males (4.9 ng/mL).
Conclusions:
- Gender-specific reference ranges for cord blood leptin are necessary.
- These ranges aid in the correct interpretation of leptin values.
- Facilitates early detection of potential childhood obesity.
Abstract:
Cord leptin is a biomarker of fetal growth and adiposity with a role in predicting weight gain during the first months of life and childhood obesity. Our objective was to calculate gender-specific reference intervals for cord blood leptin in healthy neonates in Crete, Greece. We used data from the prospective mother-child cohort ("Rhea" study) in Crete, Greece. The analysis included 398 neonates chosen with strict inclusion criteria based on maternal and fetal characteristics. Cord leptin reference intervals for male neonates were 1.4-18.2 ng/mL and for females 2.0-25.8 ng/mL. Females had higher leptin levels (median 7.4; IQR 4.7-10.9) compared to males (median 4.9; IQR 3.2-7.6) (p < 0.001). Conclusion Gender-specific reference ranges are essential in clinical practice for correct interpretation of leptin values in cord blood and early detection of childhood obesity.
