SERUM LEPTIN LEVEL IN PATIENTS WITH LEPROSY

Abstract

Objective: we aim to analyze serum leptin levels of untreated leprosy patients, compare them with healthy controls, and co-relate the patterns of leptin with different parts of the spectrum of leprosy. We try to provide evidence that leptin contribute in the pathogenesis of leprosy.
Subjects and Methods: Thirty male cases of various types of untreated leprosy of different age were included in this study at Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH). In addition, fifteen healthy male individuals of comparable age, racial and BMI were taken as controls. Estimation of fasting blood sugar, fasting serum insulin, pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin 1 (IL1), estimation of morning serum leptin and calculation of Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) were done in both groups.
Result: Leptin levels were significantly higher in leprosy patients than in controls (mean serum leptin levels of 18.3 ng/mL versus 7.9 ng/mL, p<0.001). It has been further observed that there were significant increases as regard pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-1 (IL1) in leprosy patients when compared with controls. Also, it has been observed that pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα & IL1 and serum leptin levels amongst the various types of leprosy were much more in lepromatous form as compared to other clinical forms of leprosy.
Conclusion: in this article, it was noted that hyperleptinemia in leprosy patients is due to hyperinsulinemia, overproduction pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL1 and through the stimulation of adipocytes with M. leprae or its dominant "lipopolysaccharide. Leptin hormone is thought to be a major factor in the pathogenesis of leprosy infection.
Key Words: Leprosy, leptin, Insulin resistance, pro-inflammatory cytokines.