Abstract
Methods: Fasting morning leptin levels were measured in obese and non-obese patients with and without daytime hypercapnia (n=56). Sleep studies, anthropometric data, spirometric parameters, and awake arterial blood gas tensions were measured in each patient.
Results: In the whole group serum leptin levels correlated closely with % body fat (r=0.77). Obese hypercapnic patients (mean (SD) % body fat 43.8 (6.0)%) had higher fasting serum leptin levels than eucapnic patients (mean % body fat 40.8 (6.2)%), with mean (SD) leptin levels of 39.1 (17.9) and 21.4 (11.4) ng/ml, respectively (p<0.005). Serum leptin (odds ratio (OR) 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.22) was a better predictor than % body fat (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.1) for the presence of hypercapnia.
Conclusions: Hyperleptinaemia is associated with hypercapnic respiratory failure in obesity. Treatment with leptin or its analogues may have a role in OHS provided central leptin resistance can be overcome.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (88.8 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Caro J. F., Kolaczynski J. W., Nyce M. R., Ohannesian J. P., Opentanova I., Goldman W. H., Lynn R. B., Zhang P. L., Sinha M. K., Considine R. V. Decreased cerebrospinal-fluid/serum leptin ratio in obesity: a possible mechanism for leptin resistance. Lancet. 1996 Jul 20;348(9021):159–161. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(96)03173-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chapman K. R., Himal H. S., Rebuck A. S. Ventilatory responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia in patients with eucapnic morbid obesity before and after weight loss. Clin Sci (Lond) 1990 Jun;78(6):541–545. doi: 10.1042/cs0780541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Considine R. V., Sinha M. K., Heiman M. L., Kriauciunas A., Stephens T. W., Nyce M. R., Ohannesian J. P., Marco C. C., McKee L. J., Bauer T. L. Serum immunoreactive-leptin concentrations in normal-weight and obese humans. N Engl J Med. 1996 Feb 1;334(5):292–295. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199602013340503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Garrow J. S., Webster J. Quetelet's index (W/H2) as a measure of fatness. Int J Obes. 1985;9(2):147–153. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- O'Donnell C. P., Tankersley C. G., Polotsky V. P., Schwartz A. R., Smith P. L. Leptin, obesity, and respiratory function. Respir Physiol. 2000 Feb;119(2-3):163–170. doi: 10.1016/s0034-5687(99)00111-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- O'donnell C. P., Schaub C. D., Haines A. S., Berkowitz D. E., Tankersley C. G., Schwartz A. R., Smith P. L. Leptin prevents respiratory depression in obesity. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1999 May;159(5 Pt 1):1477–1484. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.159.5.9809025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]