Leptin deficiency in maltreated children

Background: Childhood maltreatment is linked to multiple metabolic and immunological abnormalities. Experimental research in animal models showed that stressful experiences in early life may also be associated with impaired leptin response to physiological stimuli, such as adiposity and inflammation. Therefore, we tested if maltreated children showed leptin deficiency. Methods: We assessed leptin and C-reactive protein in dried blood spots and anthropometric measures from 170 twelve-year-old participants of the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Study. Childhood maltreatment was prospectively assessed through repeated interviews with mothers in the first decade of study participants’ life. Results: Maltreated children showed a trend towards lower leptin levels than non-maltreated children. Furthermore, maltreated Children showed reduced leptin response to increasing inflammation and adiposity levels. These findings could not be explained by key potential confounders or pre-existing abnormalities in energy homeostasis. Conclusions: Childhood maltreatment is associated with leptin deficiency, which could contribute to previously reported metabolic and immune abnormalities. Exposure to childhood trauma among pregnant women is associated with increased placental CRH production over gestation.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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