Possible enigmatic link between serum leptin and vitiligo with its metabolic derangements: A comparative controlled study.

Objective: Serum leptin, an adipocytokine of interleukin-6 family, has been linked to vitiligo-associated metabolic derangements. Additionally, it has been proposed as an inflammatory mediator with possible influence on vitiligo pathogenesis. This study aimed at assessing serum leptin in vitiligo patients compared to controls and whether different vitiligo characteristics have an influence on serum leptin levels.

Methods: In this hospital-based, cross-sectional case-control study, 70 vitiligo (35 segmental vitiligo (SV) and 35 Non-segmental vitiligo (NSV)) and 70 age- and sex-matched controls were assessed for different anthropometric measurements including waist circumference (WC), index of central obesity (ICO), and body mass index (BMI) as well as serum leptin levels.

Results: Central obesity as per ICO showed no significant difference between patients and controls. Additionally, patients of SV and NSV collectively showed significant higher incidence of +ve serum leptin than their controls (41.4% vs. 22.9%%, P: 0.019). Mere presence of vitiligo and ICO >0.5 were highlighted as independent predictors of +ve serum leptin (P: 0.009 and <0.001, respectively).

Limitation: Inability to determine a cause/effect relationship based on a cross-sectional study. Larger scale studies are needed to affirm our findings.

Conclusion: Mere presence of vitiligo being an independent predictor for high serum leptin could be either a contributor to pathogenesis of vitiligo or a sequel to accumulating evidence of metabolic nature of vitiligo. This is likely to influence the investigative panel and treatment protocol for vitiligo patients.