SAT-028 Leptin, Leptin Soluble Receptor and FLI in Healthy and Preeclamptic Pregnancies

Abstract

Context

Leptin is an adipokine involved in many pleiotropic and key physiological actions and circulates free and active, or inactive bound to the leptin binding protein and sOB-r. Thus, the ratio Leptin/sOB-r or free leptin index (FLI) is commonly used as a marker of leptin sensitivity in different pathologies.

Objective

Evaluate serum concentrations of leptin and sOB-r and determine FLI in healthy pregnant and mild pre – eclamptic women in the three trimesters of gestation.

Design

A nested case-control study within a prospective cohort study of pregnant women, enrolled in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the School of Medicine at Universidad Nacional.

Main Outcome Measure and Methods

From the initial cohort, 46 healthy pregnant women and 19 mild pre – eclamptic pregnant women were randomly selected. Anthropometric, biochemical and clinical parameters were determined during three stages of pregnancy [1^st (11.3±2.3 weeks), 2^nd (24.4±3.10 weeks) and 3^rd (34.84±4.41 weeks) periods of gestation]. Data were presented as mean ± SD. A p value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

Serum leptin levels and sOB-r levels rose significantly throughout pregnancy in both healthy women [Leptin (1^st 23.28±9.87 ng/mL; 2^nd 34.58±18.45 ng/mL; 3^rd 38.27±19.64 ng/mL trimester) (p=0.0001); sOB-r (1^st 32.12±7.29 ng/mL; 2^nd 43.26±9.25 ng/mL; 3^rd 45.16±10.70 ng/mL trimester) (p<0.0000)] and preeclamptic women [Leptin (1^st 29.91±9.91 ng/mL; 2^nd 47.10±25.70 ng/mL; 3^rd 63.00±3012 ng/mL trimester) (p<0.0000); sOB-r (1^st 32.09±6.97 ng/mL; 2^nd 37.54±6.33 ng/mL; 3^rd 36.96±7.66 ng/mL trimester) (p=0.0380)].

Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in preeclamptic pregnant women compared to healthy pregnant women at 2^nd (p=0.029) and 3^rd trimesters of pregnancy (p<0.000). Additionally, serum sOB-r levels were also significantly lower in pre - eclamptic pregnant women during the 2^nd (p=0.017) and 3^rd trimester (p=0.0036) of pregnancy compared to healthy pregnant women. As a result, the FLI index did not vary significantly during any of the three periods of pregnancy studied in healthy pregnant women [(1^st 7.99±4.85; 2^nd 8.72±6.5; 3^rd 9.15±5.84 trimester) (p >0.05)], whereas, in contrast, this index markedly increased throughout pregnancy in pre - eclamptic women [(1^st 8.69±4.96; 2^nd 13.54±8.78; 3^rd 18.06±10.35 trimester) (p=0.0044)]. Indeed, the FLI index was significantly higher at 2^nd (p=0.0186) and 3^rd (p<0.000) trimesters of pregnancy in pre - eclamptic women compared to healthy pregnant.

Conclusions

The present results demonstrate for the first time in a longitudinal study that FLI increases significantly in pre - eclamptic pregnant women towards the end of pregnancy. Hence, high FLI index values should be further explored as a potentially valuable indicator for the clinical manifestations of this pathology.