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Increased leptin concentrations correlate with increased concentrations of inflammatory markers in morbidly obese individuals

International Journal of Obesity volume 25, pages 1759–1766 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To study whether an increase of plasma leptin concentrations, as observed in the case of increased body weight, is associated with an inflammatory state.

SUBJECTS: Sixty-three healthy subjects with body mass index (BMI) ranging from 20 to 61 kg/m2.

MEASUREMENTS: Plasma concentrations of leptin, the inflammatory parameter soluble TNF-α receptors (TNFR55 and TNFR75), the acute phase proteins lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), serum amyloid A (SAA), α-acid glycoprotein (AGP), C-reactive protein (CRP), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and the anti-inflammatory soluble Interleukin-1 decoy receptor (sIL-1RII) were measured.

RESULTS: As expected, BMI correlated significantly with leptin (r=0.823, P<0.001), but also with all acute phase proteins, both soluble TNF receptors and PAI concentrations. After correction for BMI and sex, no significant correlation between leptin and the acute phase proteins was seen. Interestingly, however, leptin strongly correlated with both TNF receptors (r=0.523, P<0.001 for TNFR55 and r=0.438, P<0.001 for TNFR75).

CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the development of a pro-inflammatory state with increasing body weight. The BMI independent relationship between leptin and both soluble TNF-receptors is consistent with a regulatory role for leptin in the inflammatory state in morbidly obese subjects.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dr A Mantovani in Milan, and Hycult Biotechnology (Uden, The Netherlands), for providing reagents for the sIL-1 RII Elisa. Furthermore we want to thank Dr T Kooistra, Leiden, The Netherlands for providing the PAI-1 Elisa kit. Supported by AGIKO-stipendium of The Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research to F.v.D. and by BIO4-CT97-2107 from the European Commission to W.B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    FMH van Dielen, PB Soeters & JWM Greve

  2. Department of General Surgery, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

    C van't Veer & WA Buurman

  3. Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    AM Schols

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  1. FMH van Dielen
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Correspondence to JWM Greve.

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van Dielen, F., van't Veer, C., Schols, A. et al. Increased leptin concentrations correlate with increased concentrations of inflammatory markers in morbidly obese individuals. Int J Obes 25, 1759–1766 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801825

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