Accumulation of subcutaneous fat, but not visceral fat, is a predictor of adiponectin levels in preterm infants at term-equivalent age

Background: Preterm infants have altered fat tissue development, including a higher percentage of fat mass and increased volume of visceral fat. They also have altered adiponectin levels, including a lower ratio of high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-Ad) to total adiponectin CT-Ad) at term-equivalent age, compared with term infants. Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between adiponectin levels and fat tissue accumulation or distribution in preterm infants at term-equivalent age. Study design: Cross-sectional clinical study. Subjects: Study subjects were 53 preterm infants born at weeks gestation with a mean birth weight of 1592 g. Outcome measures: Serum levels of T-Ad and HMW-Ad were measured and a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed at the level of the umbilicus at term-equivalent age to analyze how fat tissue accumulation or distribution was correlated with adiponectin levels. Results: T-Ad (r = 0315,p = 0.022) and HMW-Ad levels (r = 0338,p = 0.013) were positively associated with subcutaneous fat area evaluated by performing CT scan at term-equivalent age, but were not associated with visceral fat area in simple regression analyses. In addition, T-Ad = 0.487, p = 0.003) and HMW-Ad levels (beta = 0.602,p < 0.001) were positively associated with subcutaneous fat tissue area, but they were not associated with visceral fat area also in multiple regression analyses. Conclusion: Subcutaneous fat accumulation contributes to increased levels of T-Ad and HMW-Ad, while visceral fat accumulation does not influence adiponectin levels in preterm infants at term-equivalent age. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.