https://doi.org/10.5812/ijem.6535

Serum Leptin Level Is Reduced in Non-Obese Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes

authors:

avatar Ghorban Mohammadzadeh ORCID 1 , * , avatar Nosratollah Zarghami 2

Hyperlipidemia Research Center, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, mohammadzadeh@ajums.ac.ir, IR Iran
Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran
International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism: Vol.11, issue 1; 3-10
published online: December 21, 2012
article type: Original Article
received: May 26, 2012
accepted: June 22, 2012

how to cite: Mohammadzadeh G, Zarghami N. Serum Leptin Level Is Reduced in Non-Obese Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes. Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;11(1): 3-10. https://doi.org/10.5812/ijem.6535.

Abstract

Background:

Leptin, a protein released from adipose tissue, could have significant role in pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate variations in serum leptin levels in non-obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Patients and Methods:

We studied forty-one patients with type 2 diabetes. Fasting lipid profile, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), serum leptin, insulin, and glucose levels were measured by standard methods.

Results:

The serum leptin level in type 2 diabetic patients (19.32 11.43 ng/mL) was significantly lower than that in non-diabetic subjects (32.16 11.02 ng/mL). Serum leptin level was strongly and positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.658, P < 0.0001) and calculated body fat percentage (r = 0.431, P < 0.0001) in all the study subjects with a better corrlation in the control subjcts compared to control cases (r = 0.661 for BMI and r = 0.466 for body fat). On the other hand, leptin showed a positive and significant correlation with insulin and HOMA- ? (homeostasis model assessment for ?-cell function) in both groups. Furthermore, leptin related to homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (r = 0.422, P = 0.006) was observed only in T2DM subjects. Leptin showed negative correlation with waist to hip ratio in diabetic (r = -0.407, P =0.008) and non-diabetic subjects (r = -0.318, P =0.049). In the regression model, BMI, HOMA-?, and gender were independent predictors of leptin in all subjects. However, in non-diabetic and diabetic subjects, ?-cell function and insulin were independent predictors, respectively (P =0.01).

Conclusions:

It is speculated that lower serum leptin levels in diabetic patients may be a consequence of male gender. Moreover, results suggest that serum leptin level in women is influenced differently than that in men.

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