Maternal plasma leptin is increased in preeclampsia and positively correlates with fetal cord concentration.

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that the maternal leptin concentration would be increased in preeclampsia, independent of maternal obesity. Maternal and cord plasma leptin concentrations were compared in 2 groups of women with either preeclampsia (n = 24) or normal pregnancy (n = 24), matched 1:1 for prepregnancy body mass index and fetal gestational age at sampling. Median leptin concentrations were significantly higher (P <. 03) in women with preeclampsia (45.6 ng/mL) than in normal pregnant women (27.0 ng/mL) and fell rapidly shortly after delivery (26.7 ng/mL and 25.4 ng/mL, respectively). Cord leptin was not significantly different between groups (5.4 ng/mL and 5.8 ng/mL, respectively). Maternal and cord leptin correlated significantly (rho = 0.76, P <.01) only in preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is associated with an increase in maternal plasma leptin concentrations that strongly correlates with the fetal cord concentration at delivery.