PLASMA LEPTIN CONCENTRATION IN KIDNEY-TRANSPLANT PATIENTS DURING THE EARLY POSTTRANSPLANT PERIOD

Background, Leptin, is produced by adipose tissue and is presumed to b e involved in the regulation of appetite and energy balance. The kidne ys are involved in the inactivation of circulating leptin, and elevate d plasma leptin concentrations were reported in uraemic patients. Fina lly: glucocorticosteroids as used in transplanted patients stimulate l eptin secretion. Methods. The present study aimed to asses the relatio nship between plasma leptin concentration and kidney graft function in the early post-transplant period. We studied 40 successfully transpla nted haemodialysed uraemic patients (27 males, 13 females, mean age 34 .3 +/- 1.6 years, mean body mass index 32.5 +/- 0.5 kg/m(2)). The circ adian rhythm bf leptinaemia and insulinaemia was assessed twice: 2-4 d ays after kidney transplantation and 1 day before discharge from the h ospital when graft function was good, Plasma leptin concentration was measured at 8 am, 4 pm, and 12 pm. The control group consisted of 21 h ealthy subjects (13 males, 8 females, mean age 39.4 +/- 2.5 years, mea n body mass index 24.1 +/- 0.7 kg/m(2)). Results. Before kidney transp lantation, patients had elevated plasma leptin and insulin levels. A p ositive correlation was found between BMI and leptinaemia and BMI and insulinaemia, respectively. An inverse relationship was found between leptinaemia and age. Successful kidney transplantation was followed by a significant decline of leptinaemia i.e, from 21.5 +/- 0.1 vs 7.1 +/ - 1.3 ng/ml. Kidney transplantation did not influence the circadian rh ythm of leptinaemia. Conclusion. Leptinaemia was not related to the ex cretory graft function or immunosuppression. In addition to renal excr etory function, other factors must be involved in the post-transplant decline of leptinaemia.