Decreased serum leptin in bulimia nervosa

The eating disorder bulimia nervosa has been associated with impaired satie ty, decreased resting metabolic rate, and abnormal neuroendocrine regulatio n. Preclinical studies suggest that such alterations could be associated wi th impaired leptin function. Thus, the goal of this study was to assess whe ther leptin function is decreased in bulimia nervosa. Serum leptin levels m easured in women with bulimia nervosa (n = 18) and in women who had maintai ned stable recovery from bulimia nervosa (n = 15) were compared with values in healthy female controls (n = 20). Subjects were studied during the foll icular phase of their menstrual cycle after an overnight fast and bed rest. Baseline serum samples were analyzed for leptin concentration by RlA. Subj ect groups were matched for age and body weight. Analysis of covariance, ad justing for percent body fat, demonstrated abnormally low serum leptin leve ls in the bulimia nervosa group (P = 0.02), with a trend toward an inverse correlation between frequency of binge episodes and serum leptin concentrat ion (P < 0.1). Addition ally, the remitted patient group demonstrated abnor mally low leptin values (P = 0.01). These results are consistent with the h ypothesis that decreased leptin function may be associated with alterations in eating patterns, metabolic rate, and neuroendocrine regulation in bulim ia nervosa.