Serum Leptin Concentration and Its Effect on Puberty in Naqu Tibetan Adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the regularity of leptin in Naqu Tibetan adolescents. This study investigated the concentration of fasting serum leptin and clarified its relationship between BMI and other indices. Healthy Naqu Tibetan adolescents aged 12-18 were investigated randomly in the study. They were divided into seven groups (each year as one group, 12 boys and 12 girls in each group); serum concentrations of leptin, estradiol, testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were analyzed. The height and body weight of the 168 healthy Naqu Tibetan adolescents were also assessed. The leptin level in boys decreased with age but increased in girls; in boys and girls they both differed between groups (p<0.05). In boys, the leptin level was inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI), FSH, and T (p<0.05), while in girls, it was positively related to BMI, FSH, LH, and E2 (p<0.01).These findings suggested that during puberty the serum leptin concentration increased with age in girls while it decreased in boys; in the same age group, the leptin level in girls was significantly higher than in boys. Leptin may have some relationship with puberty in Tibetan adolescents.