LEAP-2 levels are significantly higher in girls than boys regardless of weight status, increase during female puberty (p<0.001), and correlate with insulin, IGF-1, and metabolic markers in a sexually dimorphic pattern.
p<0.001significance of LEAP-2 increase from prepubertal to pubertal stage in girls
What the researchers found
LEAP-2 is significantly higher in girls vs. boys regardless of obesity status. In girls, LEAP-2 increases significantly during puberty (p<0.001) and correlates positively with insulin, IGF-1, HOMA-IR, triglycerides and negatively with ghrelin.
Why it matters
Understanding LEAP-2's role in puberty could reveal new mechanisms behind sex differences in appetite, metabolism, and pubertal timing. Given LEAP-2's ghrelin-blocking function, this has implications for understanding childhood obesity and pubertal disorders.
The numbers in context
LEAP-2 associated with puberty in girls; modulated by nutritional status; LEAP-2 is endogenous GHSR1a antagonist.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional study of 150 lean and obese children and adolescents. Plasma LEAP-2 measured with comparison by sex, pubertal stage, and body weight. Correlation analysis with metabolic hormones and markers.
Who was studied
Children assessed for LEAP-2 levels in relation to pubertal status and nutrition
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation or temporal relationships. Relatively small sample for subgroup analyses. Plasma LEAP-2 levels may not reflect tissue-specific activity. Only one ethnic group studied.
How to read the evidence
Well-powered cross-sectional study (n=150) with clear sex-specific findings. Longitudinal studies needed to establish temporal relationships.
When this study was published
Published in 2021. LEAP-2 biology is a rapidly expanding field with increasing clinical interest.
The bigger picture
LEAP-2 is emerging as a key regulator of the ghrelin system. Its sex-specific changes during puberty suggest it may be involved in the metabolic reprogramming that occurs during female sexual development, connecting appetite regulation to reproductive maturation.
Questions still open
- Does LEAP-2 contribute to sex differences in appetite and metabolism during adolescence?
- Could LEAP-2 levels predict early or delayed puberty in girls?
- Is LEAP-2 involved in the higher obesity rates seen in girls during puberty?
Common questions
What is LEAP-2?
Why does LEAP-2 matter for puberty?
Read the original research
Circulating LEAP-2 is associated with puberty in girls.
International journal of obesity (2005), 45(3), 502-514
Citation
Barja-Fernández, Silvia; Lugilde, Javier; Castelao, Cecilia; Vázquez-Cobela, Rocío; Seoane, Luisa M; Diéguez, Carlos; Leis, Rosaura; Tovar, Sulay. (2021). Circulating LEAP-2 is associated with puberty in girls.. International journal of obesity (2005), 45(3), 502-514. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-00703-3