Serum Leptin in Obese Pakistani Subjects With and Without Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Leptin, an adipokine, is considered to have a role in obesity and associated metabolic dysfunction. Serum leptin has generally been reported as lower in Caucasian subjects with diabetes. In non-caucasian groups, however, the data on leptin in subjects with diabetes is more controversial being reported as lower, similar or higher than controls. We report on serum leptin concentrations in obese Pakistani subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their age and weight matched controls.
Methods: We compared fasting serum leptin concentrations in 71 (11 males & 60 females) obese Pakistani subjects with type 2 diabetes attending diabetic clinic and 73 (12 male & 61 females) age and weight matched controls, from  hypertensive clinic of Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. 
Results: The median ages of study cases and controls were 45.8 yrs and 40.3 yrs respectively. The median BMIs of study cases and controls were 32.4 and 33.4 kg/m2 respectively. Serum leptin concentrations in females and males with diabetes [median inter quartile range, 21.5 (14.1-28.7) and 11.7 (4.7-18.5) µg/L, respectively] were lower (P<0.005) than in their respective female and male controls [112.6 (88.6- 136.2) and 43.6 (29.2- 57.2) µg/L, respectively]. Serum leptin concentrations were similar in females and males with diabetes, where as in non-diabetic females leptin concentrations were found higher than non-diabetic males (P<0.05).
Conclusion: We report lower serum leptin concentrations in obese Pakistani subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We suggest that this may be due either to altered fat distribution or to relative insulin deficiency in type 2 diabetes or both.