BACKGROUND/AIMS: Little information is available on the involvement of leptin in clinical conditions associated with malnutrition, such as liver cirrhosis. The behaviour of serum leptin in patients with different Child-Pugh score, post-hepatitis liver cirrhosis and insulin sensitivity has therefore been investigated and compared with that in alcoholic Child C patients. METHODS: Sixty-four patients, aged 51 to 62 years, with different degrees of post-hepatitis cirrhosis or Child C alcoholic cirrhosis were compared with 15 age-matched control subjects. Body composition was estimated by skinfold thickness. Serum leptin, glucose and insulin were assayed. RESULTS: In post-hepatitis patients a significant reduction in leptin levels was observed as the Child-Pugh score worsened (men: 2.94+/-1.61 in Child C vs 6.78+/-2.49 ng/ml in controls, p<0.001; women: 4.14+/-0.66 in Child C vs 16.16+/-3.90 ng/ml in controls, p<0.02). Conversely, only the men with alcoholic liver cirrhosis showed a significant difference in leptin concentration compared to controls (8.5+/-2.1 vs 16.4+/-7.9 kg, p<0.05). In particular, Child C, alcoholic cirrhotic women had a significantly (p=0.03) higher level of leptin than post-hepatitis matched women. A positive correlation was observed between leptin and fat mass (men R2=0.59, p<0.0001 and women R2=0.65, p<0.0001). While fasting levels of serum leptin correlated significantly with insulin concentrations in controls, a similar relationship was not observed in the cirrhotic population, which displayed higher insulin concentrations than controls. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to findings in alcoholic cirrhotic women, low leptin values in post-hepatitis cirrhotic patients mainly represent the expression of a reduced fat mass.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Little information is available on the involvement of leptin in clinical conditions associated with malnutrition, such as liver cirrhosis. The behaviour of serum leptin in patients with different Child-Pugh score, post-hepatitis liver cirrhosis and insulin sensitivity has therefore been investigated and compared with that in alcoholic Child C patients. METHODS: Sixty-four patients, aged 51 to 62 years, with different degrees of post-hepatitis cirrhosis or ChildC alcoholic cirrhosis were compared with 15 age-matched control subjects. Body composition was estimated by skinfold thickness. Serum leptin, glucose and insulin were assayed. RESULTS: In post-hepatitispatients a significant reduction in leptin levels was observed as the Child-Pugh score worsened (men: 2.94+/-1.61 in Child C vs 6.78+/-2.49 ng/ml in controls, p<0.001; women: 4.14+/-0.66 in Child C vs 16.16+/-3.90 ng/ml in controls, p<0.02). Conversely, only the men with alcoholic liver cirrhosis showed a significant difference in leptin concentration compared to controls (8.5+/-2.1 vs 16.4+/-7.9 kg, p<0.05). In particular, Child C, alcoholic cirrhotic women had a significantly (p=0.03) higher level of leptin than post-hepatitis matched women. A positive correlation was observed between leptin and fat mass (men R2=0.59, p<0.0001 and women R2=0.65, p<0.0001). While fasting levels of serum leptin correlated significantly with insulin concentrations in controls, a similar relationship was not observed in the cirrhotic population, which displayed higher insulin concentrations than controls. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to findings in alcoholic cirrhotic women, low leptin values in post-hepatitis cirrhoticpatients mainly represent the expression of a reduced fat mass.
Authors: T Piche; E Gelsi; S M Schneider; X Hébuterne; J Giudicelli; B Ferrua; C Laffont; S Benzaken; P Hastier; M L Montoya; F Longo; P Rampal; A Tran Journal: Gut Date: 2002-09 Impact factor: 23.059
Authors: Dieudonne Kuate; Blanche C O Etoundi; Boris K G Azantsa; Anne-Pascale N Kengne; Judith L Ngondi; Julius E Oben Journal: Lipids Health Dis Date: 2010-02-19 Impact factor: 3.876