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Circulating Adipsin as a Biomarker of Liver Fat Content in Prepubertal Children Born Small-for-Gestational-Age
Marta Díaz1,2, Marion Peyrou3,4,5, Abel López-Bermejo6
1Endocrinology Department, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, 08950 Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Children born small-for-gestational-age (SGA) with catch-up growth show higher adipsin levels. Elevated adipsin is linked to increased abdominal fat, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) features.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Adipose Tissue Biology
- Pediatric Metabolic Health
Background:
- Adipsin regulates lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis.
- Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) children with catch-up growth risk central fat deposition and MASLD.
- Understanding adipsin's role in SGA children is crucial for metabolic health assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess serum adipsin concentrations in prepubertal children born appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) versus SGA with catch-up growth.
- To investigate the association of adipsin with abdominal adiposity and metabolic health markers.
- To explore adipsin as a potential biomarker for ectopic fat accumulation in SGA children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 75 prepubertal children (40 AGA, 35 SGA).
- Measurements included anthropometry, serum adipsin, glucose, insulin, high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-adip), lipids.
- Abdominal fat partitioning assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Main Results:
- SGA children exhibited significantly higher serum adipsin levels compared to AGA children (p < 0.001).
- Adipsin concentrations correlated inversely with birth weight and HMW-adip, and positively with insulin resistance, abdominal adiposity, and liver fat percentage.
- SGA children presented with a less favorable metabolic profile and increased hepato-visceral fat.
Conclusions:
- Circulating adipsin is elevated in prepubertal catch-up SGA children.
- Increased adipsin is associated with features of MASLD and ectopic fat accumulation.
- Adipsin may serve as a novel biomarker linking early growth patterns to metabolic risk.
Abstract:
Adipsin is a serine protease secreted mainly by adipocytes with a key role in the regulation of lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. Individuals born small-for-gestational-age (SGA) with excessive postnatal catch-up in weight are at risk of developing central (hepato-visceral) fat deposition and features of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We assessed cross-sectionally the serum concentrations of adipsin in seventy-five prepubertal children, aged ~7.8 yr, born appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA, N = 40) or SGA (with spontaneous catch-up, N = 35) and their association with markers of abdominal adiposity and metabolic health. Assessments included anthropometry, serum adipsin, glucose, insulin, high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-adip), lipids, and abdominal fat partitioning by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). SGA children had higher serum adipsin levels [1.9 mg/L ± 0.4 vs. 1.4 mg/L ± 0.1 (mean ± SEM); p < 0.001], a less favorable endocrine-metabolic profile, and more hepato-visceral fat. Adipsin concentrations correlated inversely with birth weight and HMW-adip concentrations and positively with markers of insulin resistance, abdominal adiposity, and with the percentage of liver fat. Circulating adipsin concentrations are increased in prepubertal catch-up SGA children and are associated with features of MASLD. Circulating adipsin may become a novel biomarker of ectopic fat accumulation, linking early growth patterns to markers of metabolic risk.
