Association between adipokines and glycemia in children under age 8: the PROGRESS cohort of Mexico

medRxiv [Preprint]. 2026 Jan 22:2026.01.20.26344469. doi: 10.64898/2026.01.20.26344469.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The role of adipokines in childhood glycemia is poorly understood. We investigate the longitudinal association between adipokines and glycemia in a cohort of children in Mexico City.

METHODS: Children from the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment, and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) cohort (948 children, 52% male) were followed longitudinally from birth. Leptin, adiponectin, glucose, and HbA _1c were measured at four, six, and eight years, and fasting insulin at eight years. Adiponectin to leptin ratio (ALR) and HOMA2 indices were computed. Longitudinal associations were examined by linear mixed models and cross-sectional associations were examined by multivariable linear regression. All models were adjusted for maternal and child covariates.

FINDINGS: Between ages four and eight years, average levels of leptin increased from 3·2 to 10·8 ug/mL; adiponectin dropped from 15·7 to 13·7 ng/mL; and ALR dropped from 9·1 to 3·1 ug/ng. Longitudinally, across timepoints four, six, and eight years after birth, there was no association between adipokines and glycemia. However, the cross-sectional analysis at age 8 years found an association between leptin and insulin (1·0, 95% CI: 1·0; 1·1), HOMA2-B (1·0, 95% CI: 1·0; 1·0), HOMA2-IR (1·0, 95% CI: 1·0; 1·1), and HOMA2-S (0·9, 95% CI: 0·9; 0·9).

INTERPRETATION: Further investigation is needed to understand the role of adipokines in the development of T2DM in children and the factors that may alter adipokine metabolism.

PMID:41646730 | PMC:PMC12870553 | DOI:10.64898/2026.01.20.26344469