J Korean Med Sci.  1999 Oct;14(5):546-551. 10.3346/jkms.1999.14.5.546.

The relationship between plasma leptin and nutritional status in chronic hemodialysis patients

• Koo JR
• Pak KY
• Kim KH
• Chun RW
• Kim HJ
• Chae DW
• Choi MG
• Noh JW

• KMID: 646023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.1999.14.5.546

Abstract

Leptin serves an important role in suppressing appetite in mice and is known to be elevated in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. But clinical significance of leptin as an appetite-reducing uremic toxin, remains to be determined. So we studied the relationship between plasma leptin and nutritional status in 46 chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Pre HD leptin was measured and divided by body mass index (BMI) to give adjusted leptin levels. KT/Vurea (K, dialyzer urea clearance; T, duration of HD; V, volume of distribution of urea), C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma insulin and nutritional parameters such as serum albumin, normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR), subjective global assessment (SGA), BMI and mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) were also measured. Mean plasma leptin levels were 8.13+/-2.91 ng/mL (male 3.15+/-0.70; female 14.07+/-6.14, p<0.05). Adjusted leptin levels were positively correlated with nPCR (male r=0.47, p<0.05; female r=0.46, p<0.05), SGA (male r=0.43, p<0.05; female r=0.51, p<0.05) and MAMC (male r=0.60, p<0.005; female r=0.61, p<0.05). They did not correlate with KT/Vurea, serum albumin, hematocrit, bicarbonate, insulin and CRP. Presence of DM and erythropoietin therapy had no effect on leptin levels. These results suggest that leptin is a marker of good nutritional status rather than a cause of protein energy malnutrition in chronic HD patients.

Keyword

Nutrition disorders; Hemodialysis

MeSH Terms

Adult
Biological Markers/blood
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Human
Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy
Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications
Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood*
Leptin/blood*
Male
Middle Age
Nutrition Disorders/etiology
Nutrition Disorders/diagnosis
Nutritional Status*
Obesity/metabolism
Obesity/etiology
Renal Dialysis*/adverse effects
Sex Factors