Elevated serum leptin concentrations in type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria

• Published in: Metabolism, clinical and experimental Vol. 48; no. 10; pp. 1290 - 1293
• Main Authors: Fruehwald-Schultes, Bernd, Kern, Werner, Beyer, Jürgen, Forst, Thomas, Pfützner, Andreas, Peters, Achim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Aged; Albuminuria; Associated diseases and complications; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Creatinine - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - physiopathology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - urine; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Nephropathies - blood; Diabetic Nephropathies - physiopathology; Diabetic Nephropathies - urine; Diabetic Neuropathies - blood; Diabetic Neuropathies - urine; Diabetic Retinopathy - blood; Diabetic Retinopathy - urine; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Female; Humans; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - urine; Leptin - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Reference Values; Triglycerides - blood; Europe; Germany; Endocrinopathy; Human; Kidney disease; Urinary system disease; Pathophysiology; Albumin; Non insulin dependent diabetes; Blood plasma; Nephropathy; Leptin; Adult; Complication; Elderly; Comparative study; Microalbuminuria; Proteinuria
• ISSN: 0026-0495; 1532-8600
• DOI: 10.1016/S0026-0495(99)90270-6

Leptin levels are elevated in end-stage renal disease, suggesting an impairment of renal leptin degradation. The present study aimed to determine whether leptin levels are also elevated in patients with earlier stages of renal disease, ie, microalbuminuric and macroalbuminuric nephropathy. A total of 60 subjects were assigned to two study groups. Group A contained 10 type 2 diabetics with macroalbuminuria, 10 type 2 diabetics with normoalbuminuria, and 10 healthy control subjects. Group B contained 10 type 2 diabetics with microalbuminuria, 10 type 2 diabetics with normoalbuminuria, and 10 healthy controls. The subgroups of both study groups were matched for sex and body fatness. In group A, macroalbuminuric diabetic patients had higher serum leptin levels than the normoalbuminuric diabetics (11.90 ± 2.98 v 4.13 ± 0.92 ng/mL, P < .002) and control subjects (4.78 ± 1.37 ng/mL, P < .006). In group B, microalbuminuric diabetics had higher serum leptin levels than the normoalbuminuric diabetics (21.16 ± 5.80 v 8.74 ± 1.89 ng/mL, P < .04) and control subjects (10.06 ± 3.00 ng/mL, P < .06). In both groups A and B, creatinine clearance was inversely correlated with the serum leptin level after adjusting for body fat. In conclusion, serum leptin levels are elevated in type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria, suggesting that renal leptin degradation is already impaired in the early stages of renal disease.