Background/aim: Serum levels of leptin, the adipocyte-derived hormone regulating food intake and energy expenditure in mammals, have been found to be increased in cirrhotic patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate leptin serum level in relation to anthropometric features and liver function in patients with viral chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis.

Methods: Serum leptin levels were determined by radioimmunoassay in 30 male and 10 female patients with chronic hepatitis, in 42 male and 10 female patients with liver cirrhosis, and in four respective control groups. Liver function was evaluated by the monoethylglycinexylidide formation test. Body mass index and body fat mass were estimated by weight, height and skinfold thickness measurements.

Results: Compared with controls, absolute serum leptin levels were significantly (p<0.01) lower in chronic hepatitis patients and similar in cirrhotic patients. Leptin serum levels were significantly (p<0.05) higher in cirrhotic than in chronic hepatitis patients. When expressed in relation to body fat mass, the above differences persisted; however, cirrhotic females showed significantly (p<0.05) higher serum leptin values than controls. Serum leptin values correlated negatively (p<0.01) with monoethylglycinexylidide serum values in all groups of patients.

Conclusions: In patients with chronic viral liver disease, serum leptin levels tend to increase as liver function worsens. This may reflect a decline in the ability to downregulate energy expenditure as an adaptation to anorexia and/or to defective substrate utilisation due to liver disease and may negatively influence body weight homeostasis in these patients.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8278(00)80156-7DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

serum leptin
12
leptin levels
12
chronic hepatitis
12
patients viral
8
viral chronic
8
hepatitis liver
8
liver cirrhosis
8
liver function
8
male female
8
female patients
8

Similar Publications

Background: Childhood obesity and the rate of its spread is a serious threat to the reproductive health of the nation, especially among boys, being a background for delaying sexual development and further disrupting fertility.

Aim: To study the peculiarities of the ratio of the level of leptin and a number of toxic and essential chemical trace elements in biological environments in adolescent boys aged 13-14 years with obesity and delayed sexual development.

Materials And Methods: Three groups of adolescents aged 13-14 years were studied and formed: the main ones - with constitutional exogenous obesity of 1-2 degrees (1-20 boys without secondary signs of puberty; 2 - 24 boys with 2-4 stages of puberty according to Tanner) and comparisons (3 - 15 boys with normal body weight and without deviations in puberty).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Blood carries some of the most valuable biomarkers for disease screening as it interacts with various tissues and organs in the body. Human blood serum is a reservoir of high molecular weight fraction (HMWF) and low molecular weight fraction (LMWF) proteins. The LMWF proteins are considered disease marker proteins and are often suppressed by HMWF proteins during analysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Association of serum vitamin D (vitD) with leptin (Lep) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is not precisely known in overweight hypertensive (OW-HT) postmenopausal (PMP) women. Hence, the present study was carried out to investigate the body mass index (BMI)-based correlation of serum vitD with Lep and TNF-α in OW-HT PMP women.

Methods: Women subjects in their early PMP (n = 346, age: 51 - 60 years) categorized into three groups had main inclusion criteria of specified range of age, BMI and blood pressure (BP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glucose metabolism and hormonal responses are largely affected by exercise intensity, which exhibits an alternating pattern in many sports activities. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare glycemic and hormonal responses during and after exercise of constant (CON) and alternating (ALT) intensity with the same duration and total work. Ten healthy male volunteers performed two, 60 min cycling exercise bouts in random order: the ALT bout, where exercise intensity alternated between 46.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated the sex-dependent effects of inflammatory responses in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), as well as hematological status, in relation to cardiovascular disorders associated with prediabetes. Using male and female hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (HHTg) rats-a nonobese prediabetic model featuring dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance-we found that HHTg females exhibited more pronounced hypertriglyceridemia than males, while HHTg males had higher non-fasting glucose levels. Additionally, HHTg females had higher platelet counts, larger platelet volumes, and lower antithrombin inhibitory activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!