Plasma Leptin Concentrations in Patients with Renal Disease

Overview

Background.
Leptin is a new hormone influencing food intake, energy expenditure and body weight. This proteinis produced by adipocytes, exerts its effects on brain, endocrine pancreas and other organs by activating transmem-brane receptors and is cleared from plasma mainly by the kidneys. The aim of our study was to compare plasmaconcentrations of leptin in our nephrological out-patients and controls.Methods and Results. We examined 36 diabetic patients with various stages of nephropathy, 12 males withnephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy, 15 dialysis patients and 11 controls. Leptin was assessed inplasma by ELISA.There was a significant difference between plasma levels of leptin in males and females (7.7 ± 11.4 vs 17.6 ± 17.3,p < 0.001) and in dialysis and non-dialysis patients (19.6 ± 16.5 vs 10.7 ± 14.5, p < 0.05). There was also a differencebetween dialysed and non-dialysed men (15.1 ± 16.2 vs 5.9 ± 9.2, p < 0.05). We found no difference between menwith and without nephrotic syndrome and between BMI or age. There was a positive corelationn of leptin withdiabetic and non-diabetic women. There was positive correlation of P-leptin with serum creatinine in non-dialysedwomen (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) and a negative correlation with S-albumin in nephrotic men (r = -0.65, p < 0.05).Conclusions. Women have higher plasma leptin concentrations than men and dialysis patients have higherconcentrations than non-dialysed patients. Apart from the positive correlation with S-creatinine in non-dialysedwomen. There was positive correlation with S-albumin in nephrotic men there were no correlations with renalfunction, BMI, age, S-cholesterol, S-triglycerides and S-albumin.

Key words:
plasma leptin concentrations, renal disease.