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Published on: August 7, 2017
Does fetal leptin and adiponectin influence children's lung function and risk of wheeze?
Blanche C Ip1, Nan Li2, Medina Jackson-Browne3
1Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Insights
Fetal adipocytokines like adiponectin and leptin may influence children's lung health. Higher adiponectin improved lung function in girls, while both adiponectin and leptin reduced wheeze risk, particularly in girls.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Adipocytokines, signaling molecules from adipose tissue, are present during fetal development.
- Their role in human fetal lung development and early childhood respiratory health is not well understood.
- Limited human data necessitates investigation into the prenatal influences on lung function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cord blood adipocytokine concentrations and lung function (FEV1) in children.
- To examine the relationship between fetal adipocytokine levels and the risk of wheeze in early childhood.
- To explore potential sex-specific effects of adipocytokines on respiratory outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the HOME Study, measuring umbilical cord serum adipocytokines via ELISA.
- Assessed children's lung function (percent predicted FEV1) at ages 4 and 5 using spirometry.
- Collected wheeze symptom data through parental questionnaires from birth to age 8.
- Employed multivariable linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations for statistical analysis, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Cord serum leptin showed no association with children's %FEV1.
- Higher adiponectin was linked to improved %FEV1 in girls, but not significantly in boys (p=0.05 for sex interaction).
- Higher leptin was associated with a reduced risk of wheeze in girls (RR=0.74), but not boys (p=0.01 for sex interaction).
- Higher adiponectin concentrations were associated with a lower risk of wheeze in both sexes (RR=0.84).
Conclusions:
- Fetal exposure to adipocytokines may play a role in early childhood lung development and respiratory health.
- Specific adipocytokines like adiponectin and leptin demonstrate differential associations with lung function and wheeze risk, with some sex-specific effects.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these prenatal influences on pediatric respiratory outcomes.
Abstract:
Adipocytokines, which are secreted during fetal development by both mothers and fetuses, may influence fetal lung development, but little human data are available. We used data from the HOME Study to investigate the associations of cord blood adipocytokine concentrations with children's lung forced expiratory volume (FEV1; N = 160) and their risk of wheeze (N = 281). We measured umbilical cord serum adipocytokine concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and FEV1 using a portable spirometer at ages 4 and 5 to calculate the percent predicted FEV1 (%FEV1). Parents completed standardized questionnaires of their child's wheeze symptoms every 6 months from birth to age 5, then again at ages 6 and 8. We used multivariable linear mixed models and modified Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations to estimate associations of adipocytokine concentrations (log2-transformed) with children's %FEV1 and the risk of wheeze, respectively, adjusting for sociodemographic, perinatal, and child factors. Cord serum leptin was not associated with children's %FEV1. Higher cord serum adiponectin concentrations were associated with higher %FEV1 in girls (β = 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6, 5.6), but not in boys (β = -1.3, 95% CI: -5.9, 3.3) (sex × adiponectin p-value = 0.05). Higher leptin was associated with lower risk of wheeze in girls (RR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.84), but not boys (RR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.69, 1.11) (sex × leptin p-value = 0.01). In contrast, higher adiponectin concentrations were associated with lower risk of wheeze (RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.96) in both boys and girls. These data suggest that fetal adipocytokines may impact lung development and function in early childhood. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore the mechanisms underlying these associations.
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