Serum leptin concentrations in liver cirrhosis: relationship to the severity of liver dysfunction and their characteristic diurnal profiles

Liver cirrhosis is often associated with malnutrition status, and while lep tin, which reduces food intake, appears to contribute to it, there have bee n few detailed studies of serum leptin concentrations in cases of liver cir rhosis. We therefore measured serum leptin concentrations in liver cirrhosi s and investigated its relationship with gender, body composition analysis, and the severity of liver dysfunction and the patterns of diurnal profiles in serum leptin. There were no significant differences between the serum l eptin concentrations in the healthy controls and patients with liver cirrho sis. The serum leptin concentrations in liver cirrhosis cases were signific antly higher in females than in males. Significant positive correlations we re observed between the serum leptin and the body composition analysis data such as body mass index (BMI), arm circumference (AC), and triceps skin fo ld thickness (TSF). There was no correlations between BMI and arm muscle ci rcumference (AMC). No changes in leptin levels were observed in association with the progression of liver dysfunction, according to the Child-Pugh cla ssification. The diurnal profiles showed different patterns in liver cirrho sis and diabetes mellitus. In diabetes, a nocturnal rise was seen beginning around 21:00, but in liver cirrhosis, the rise in serum leptin started aro und 12:00, peaked at 13:00, and remained elevated until 03:00 in the mornin g. No associations were observed between the variations in serum leptin con centrations and variations in blood glucose or plasma insulin levels. In su mmary, serum leptin concentrations in liver cirrhosis are higher in women, positively correlated with the body composition analysis data, but not corr elated with the severity of liver dysfunction. The diurnal profiles in seru m leptin concentrations in liver cirrhosis also showed a different pattern from the profiles in diabetes with the values starting to increase earlier, during the daytime. Further study regarding the relation of leptin to nutr ition and metabolic abnormalities in liver cirrhosis appears to be necessar y. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.