Leptin and leptin receptor expression in a lipoblastoma in an 8-year-old girl

Leptin is a hormone that is produced by adipocytes, Leptin acts on specific receptors in the hypothalamus. RNA was isolated from a lipoblastoma of an 8-year-old girl and the expression of leptin and leptin receptor mRNA was a nalyzed by RT-PCR. The lipoblastoma tumor, a rare form of childhood tumors, expressed leptin and leptin receptors in a fashion similar to normal adipo se tissue. We hypothesize that the peripheral action of leptin via its rece ptors could play a role in the development and/or progression of lipoblasto ma, Whether or not leptin and leptin receptor expression play a role in the development and/or progression of lipoblastoma and other tumors is not cle ar to date, Copyright (C) 1999 S. Karger AG, Basel.