최혜진1, 조정호1, 이종도2, 신말연1, 이지현1, 최보인1, 김희정1, 김선민1, 정재현1, 정상선1, 양명주1

숙명여자대학교 체육학과1, 애리조나 주립대학교2

Background Leptin is a protein hormone produced primarily by fat cells and plays a key role in regulating energy intake and expenditure including appetite and metabolism. But whether leptin is associated with obesity-linked factors and inflammatory factors across gender is not clear. We investigated the relationships between leptin and obesity-linked factors (weight, percent body fat, waist-hip-ratio, body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride) and inflammatory factors (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and white blood cell) in 31 female college students. Methods We measured total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), interleukin--6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), white blood cell (WBC), and leptin hormone level using an enzymatic method. Percent body fat, fat mass, weight, height, waist-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed using bioelectrical impedance (Biospace Co.), and blood pressure was measured by auto blood pressure machine (MD 730, Korea). Pearson product-moment correlation was used to investigate correlations between leptin and obesity-linked factors and inflammatory factors. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the associations between leptin and obesity-linked factors and inflammatory factors. Results Leptin was significantly associated with weight (r=0.59, p=0.00), percent body fat (r=0.80, p=0.00), WHR (r=0.81, p=0.00), BMI (r=0.67, p=0.00), LDL-C (r=0.43, p=0.02), and CRP (r=0.40, p=0.03). In multiple linear regression analysis, percent body fat (t=6.39) and HDL-C (t=2.18) were shown to be significant predictors of the body's level of leptin. Percent body fat and HDL-C account for a variance in leptin levels of 76% in young female college students. Conclusions We concluded that in order to properly adjust the level of leptin in female college students, a most effective strategy is to reduce percent body fat, WHR, BMI, LDL-C, TG, and CRP. (
Korean J Health Promot Dis Prev 2009 ; 9(2):148-153)

Keywords: obesity-linked factors, inflammatory factors, leptin hormone, college female students