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Leptin, ghrelin, nesfatin-1, and orexin-A plasma levels in girls with premature thelarche

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Abstract

Purpose

Reducing the mean age of puberty onset in recent years has crucial public health, clinical, and social implications. This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of appetite-related peptides (leptin, ghrelin, nesfatin-1, and orexin-A) and anthropometric data in girls with premature thelarche (PT).

Methods

We enrolled 44 girls aged 4–8 years diagnosed with PT and 33 age-matched healthy girls as controls. The demographic data of the girls were obtained using a questionnaire. Anthropometric data were measured and fasting blood samples were collected.

Results

Body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass, and basal metabolic rate (BMR) were higher in the PT group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Serum leptin (p < 0.001), nesfatin-1 (p = 0.001), and orxein-A (p < 0.001) levels were significantly higher in the PT group than in healthy controls. However, there were no significant differences in the serum ghrelin levels between the groups (p > 0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression revealed that serum leptin level (OR (95% CI): 42.0 (10.91, 173.06), p < 0.001), orexin-A (OR (95% CI): 1.14 (1.04, 1.24), p = 0.006), and BMI for age z-score (OR (95% CI): 6.97 (1.47, 33.4), p = 0.014) elevated the risk of incidence of PT at 4–8 girls.

Conclusion

These results suggest that in addition to serum leptin levels, serum orexin-A and nesaftin-1 can take part in the initiation of PT. Few studies have investigated the relationship between nesfatin-1 and orexin-A levels and age at onset of puberty; hence, it should be a subject for future studies.

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Funding

This study was not funded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey

    N. Almasi, N. Heidarzadeh Rad & M. Fisunoglu

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey

    H. Y. Zengin

  3. Department of Child Endocrinology, Ministry of Health Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    N. Koç & S. A. Uçakturk

  4. Department of Child Pediatric, Ministry of Health Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    D. İskender Mazman

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  1. N. Almasi
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  2. H. Y. Zengin
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  4. S. A. Uçakturk
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  5. D. İskender Mazman
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  6. N. Heidarzadeh Rad
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Contributions

NA and MF designed the research. NA performed the research, analyzed, and interpreted the data. NA and HYZ performed statistical data analysis. NK, SAU and DİM contributed to sample collection in policlinics. NA wrote the manuscript, NHR revised it. MF had primary responsibility for the final content, and all authors reviewed the manuscript rigorously and approved the final version submitted for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Fisunoglu.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study which involving human participants were in accordance with the principle of the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. This study was approved by the Local Ethical Committee (18.02.2019, no: 2019-008).

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Informed consent was obtained from all parents of participants included in the study.

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Almasi, N., Zengin, H.Y., Koç, N. et al. Leptin, ghrelin, nesfatin-1, and orexin-A plasma levels in girls with premature thelarche. J Endocrinol Invest 45, 2097–2103 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-022-01841-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-022-01841-3

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