Leptin serum levels are not correlated with disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: Metabolism, clinical and experimental Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 745 - 748
• Main Authors: Anders, Hans-Joachim, Rihl, Markus, Heufelder, Armin, Loch, Oliver, Schattenkirchner, Manfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.06.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Adult; Aged; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Humans; Inflammatory joint diseases; Leptin; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Proteins - metabolism; Radioimmunoassay; Severity of Illness Index; Human; Immunopathology; Chronic; Leptin; Rheumatoid arthritis; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Biological marker; Autoimmune disease; Evolution; Inflammatory joint disease; Hormonal investigation
• ISSN: 0026-0495; 1532-8600
• DOI: 10.1016/S0026-0495(99)90174-9

Leptin, the ob gene product, has been proposed as a mediator of inflammatory cytokine—dependent decreased food intake and cachexia in rodents. In humans, leptin serum levels increase after administration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) or interleukin-2 or during septicemia. However, the effect of human chronic inflammatory disease on serum leptin is unknown. We therefore determined the serum leptin level (radioimmunoassay), body mass index (BMI), percent body fat ([%BF] bioelectrical impedance analysis), and disease activity (Disease Activity Score [DAS]) in 58 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 16 controls. The BMI, %BF, serum leptin, and ratio of leptin to %BF (leptin/%BF) did not differ significantly in 25 patients with moderate RA activity (DAS, 3.6 ± 0.5), 33 patients with low RA activity (DAS, 1.8 ± 0.5), and controls. A positive correlation for serum leptin and %BF was detected in all groups. Our data indicate that in RA, a human chronic cytokine-mediated inflammatory disease, the serum leptin level is directly related to %BF but not to disease activity.