Ramkripa Raghavan1, Barry Zuckerman2, Xiumei Hong1, Guoying Wang1, Yuelong Ji1, David Paige1, Jessica DiBari3, Cuilin Zhang1,4, M Daniele Fallin5, Xiaobin Wang1,6. 1. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. 2. Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Office of Epidemiology and Research, Maternal & Child Health Bureau, Health Resources & Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland. 4. Division of Intramural Population and Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland. 5. Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities & Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. 6. Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
Abstract
Leptin is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in energy homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that leptin levels are altered in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, this has not been studied prospectively. Rapid growth during infancy and early childhood has been implicated in ASD, but the evidence is inconsistent. As leptin is involved in growth and is a potential risk factor for ASD, we explored the associations between (a) cord, early childhood leptin and ASD; and (b) birth weight for gestational age, early childhood weight gain, and ASD. We also assessed the mediating role of leptin in the relationship between weight gain during infancy and ASD. This study was conducted in a sample of 822 subjects from the Boston Birth Cohort. ASD was defined from diagnostic codes in electronic medical records. Extremely rapid weight gain during infancy was associated with a greater ASD risk and this persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (aOR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.37, 7.07). Similarly, children that had higher plasma leptin levels, prior to ASD diagnosis, had an increased ASD risk in both unadjusted and adjusted models (aOR: 7.87; 95% CI: 2.06, 30.04). Further, early childhood leptin indirectly mediated the relationship between rapid weight gain and ASD. No associations were found between birth weight for gestational age, cord leptin and risk of ASD. Our findings provide a basis to further explore whether the combination of early life growth pattern and a biomarker such as leptin can predict ASD earlier. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1416-1431.
Leptin is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in energy homeostasis. Emerging evidence suggests that leptin levels are altered in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, this has not been studied prospectively. Rapid growth during infancy and early childhood has been implicated in ASD, but the evidence is inconsistent. As leptin is involved in growth and is a potential risk factor for ASD, we explored the associations between (a) cord, early childhood leptin and ASD; and (b) birth weight for gestational age, early childhood weight gain, and ASD. We also assessed the mediating role of leptin in the relationship between weight gain during infancy and ASD. This study was conducted in a sample of 822 subjects from the Boston Birth Cohort. ASD was defined from diagnostic codes in electronic medical records. Extremely rapid weight gain during infancy was associated with a greater ASD risk and this persisted after adjusting for potential confounders (aOR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.37, 7.07). Similarly, children that had higher plasma leptin levels, prior to ASD diagnosis, had an increased ASD risk in both unadjusted and adjusted models (aOR: 7.87; 95% CI: 2.06, 30.04). Further, early childhood leptin indirectly mediated the relationship between rapid weight gain and ASD. No associations were found between birth weight for gestational age, cord leptin and risk of ASD. Our findings provide a basis to further explore whether the combination of early life growth pattern and a biomarker such as leptin can predict ASD earlier. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1416-1431.
Authors: Christos S Mantzoros; Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman; Catherine J Williams; Jessica L Fargnoli; Theodoros Kelesidis; Matthew W Gillman Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2009-02 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: Guoying Wang; Sara Divall; Sally Radovick; David Paige; Yi Ning; Zhu Chen; Yuelong Ji; Xiumei Hong; Sheila O Walker; Deanna Caruso; Colleen Pearson; Mei-Cheng Wang; Barry Zuckerman; Tina L Cheng; Xiaobin Wang Journal: JAMA Date: 2014-02-12 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Ramkripa Raghavan; Jacob Selhub; Ligi Paul; Yuelong Ji; Guoying Wang; Xiumei Hong; Barry Zuckerman; M Daniele Fallin; Xiaobin Wang Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 2020-11-11 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: Susan M Greene; Yatzil R Sanchez; Nikhita Pathapati; Gianna N Davis; Georgianna G Gould Journal: Horm Behav Date: 2021-01-20 Impact factor: 3.492