Association of serum leptin and LDL-cholesterol concentration with visceral fat thickness estimated by using ultrasonography among healthy adult population

研究对象是1998年在长野县农村社区进行健康检查的妇女。共有1，429人符合纳入标准，年龄20-69岁，既往无肝病、肾病、糖尿病、甲状腺疾病、痛风和腹部手术史。每个人都被问到一个关于日常体力活动的问题。人体测量包括身体低音指数（BMI），腰臀比（WHR），上臂和肩胛下皮褶厚度。根据Suzuki等人描述的方法，进行了臂中部和肩胛下点脂肪层厚度以及腹壁皮下和腹膜前脂肪垫厚度的超声估计。所有数据可用的受试者人数为1，036人。其中202名年龄在40-49岁之间的妇女同意于1996年提供体检样本，研究了人体测量和超声测量与循环瘦素水平的相关性，结果表明，高水平的日常体力活动与较低的皮肤褶皱，皮下和内脏脂肪垫厚度有关，即使调整了BMI的影响。低密度脂蛋白胆固醇与腹部脂肪垫厚度有显著相关性，但与上臂或肩胛下脂肪测量结果无相关性。在调整BMI、年龄和日常体力活动的协方差分析中，发现血清瘦素与脂肪层厚度呈负相关，仅与肩胛下皮褶有显着关系。

The subjects were women who underwent a health screening program conducted in 1998 in a rural community of Nagano prefecture. A total of 1,429 persons met the inclusion criteria of age 20-69 and being free of previous history of liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, gout, and abdominal operation. A question concerning daily physical activity was asked of every individual. Anthropometric measurements included body bass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and upper-arm and subscapular skin-fold thickness. Ultrasonographic estimation of the fat layer thickness at mid-arm and subscapular point, and abdominal wall subcutaneous and preperitoneal fat pad thickness was carried out, according to the method described by Suzuki et al. The number of subjects from whom all the data were available was 1,036. Out of them, 202 women, who were at age 40-49 and agreed to offer ablood sample in 1996, were studied for correlation of anthropometric and ultrasonic measurements with circulating leptin level.The results indicated that a high level of daily physical activity was associated with the lower skin-folds, and subcutaneous and visceral fat pad thickness, even after the effect of BMI was adjusted. LDL-cholesterol showed a significant correlation with abdominal fat pad thickness, but failed to correlate with upper-arm or subscapular fat measurements. In the analysis of covariance to adjust for BMI, age, and daily physical activity, serum leptin was found to inversely correlate with the fat layer thickness, with only significant relationship with subscapular skin-fold.