Relationship Between Leptin And Intrahepatic Cholestasis Of Pregnancy

Objective: To study the relationship between leptin and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(ICP), the effects of leptin on fetal growth.Methods: Levels of maternal and cord serum leptin were measured by Immuno-radioassay method. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect leptin expression in placenta.Results: (l)The levels of leptin in materal predelivery serum and placenta of study group were (31.80+11.70) ng/ml and 186.20 + 30.52, which were significantly higher than those of control group (20.22 + 5.97) ng/ml and 170.01 +29.47 (PO.05) and fell rapidly shortly after delivery (12.66 ?.32) ng/ml and (12.64 ?.23) ng/ml (PO.05). (2) There was significant positive correlation between total bile acid and concentrations of leptin for women with ICP (r=0.967, P0.01). (3)There was a strong positive correlation between the maternal predelivery leptin concentration and the cord serum leptin levels for women with ICP (r=0.851, P0.01) but not for normal pregnant women (r=0.032, P>0.05). (4)The leptin levels of cord blood and placenta were positively correlated with BMI of newborns in both of the normal and ICP pregnancy (r=0.513,0.589, PO.05, PO.01), (r=0.571, 0.485, PO.01, pO.05).Conclusions: Increased maternal predlivery serum and placental leptin concentrations were demonstrated in ICP and it may play an etiological role.The lever of leptin in umbilical blood and placenta is closely related to the growth of fetus.