Leptin deficiency due to lipid apheresis: a possible reason for ravenous hunger and weight gain

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how extracorporal cholesterol lowering therapy af fects circulating leptin levels in patients with ravenous hunger after trea tment and permanent weight gain. DESIGN: A case report. SUBJECT: 51 y old caucasian male patient with moderate chronic renal failur e, MEASUREMENTS: Serum Leptin concentration (RIA, Linco Research Inc, St. Loui s, MO, USA), total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood glucose levels, calorie intake by food records. RESULTS: During treatment total cholesterol was reduced by 50%. Serum Lepti n levels showed a 42% reduction at the end of treatment, that by far exceed s the physiological diurnal variation. Calorie intake was significantly inc reased on days of treatment. CONCLUSION: We conclude that this artificial reduction in circulating lepti n plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ravenous hunger and weight gain under extracorporal cholesterol lowering therapy in this case.