Serum leptin levels in post-hepatitis liver cirrhosis.

Abstract

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.

• Authors: A V Greco, G Mingrone, A Favuzzi, E Capristo, D Gniuli, G Addolorato, A Brunani, F Cavagnin, G Gasbarrini
• Journal: Journal of hepatology (J Hepatol) Vol. 33 Issue 1 Pg. 38-42 (Jul 2000) ISSN: 0168-8278 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 10905584 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Leptin

Topics

• Adipose Tissue (pathology)
• Fasting (blood)
• Female
• Hepatitis B (complications)
• Hepatitis C (complications)
• Humans
• Insulin Resistance
• Leptin (blood)
• Liver Cirrhosis (blood, pathology, physiopathology, virology)
• Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic (blood, pathology, physiopathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Organ Size
• Reference Values