Comparison of Serum Leptin in Major β-Thalasemia Patients and Normal Subjects

Background: Leptin, is a adipocyte-derived hormone. Exogenous leptin allows the recovery of the reproductive function. In humans, leptin correlates positively with body mass index (BMI). The aim of the study was to investigate the association of leptin with toxic effects of iron overload. Methods: In a cross sectional study in 2006, we compared the serum leptin level of thalasemic patients with normal group. Blood samples were collected from 219 patients with Cooley’s anemia, (119 males, 100 females) and 137 normal subjects (86 males, 51 females). Leptin was measured by a commercial ELISA kit. Data were analyzed by SPSS software. Findings: Mean serum leptin level was 5.33±5.02 ng/ml in thalassaemic males. It was significantly lower than controls (9.43±7.8 ng/ml) (P<0.001). Thalassaemic females had lower leptin levels (12.12±11.4 ng/ml) than normal females subjects (14.6±13.1 ng/ml) (P<0.001). Furthermore, the physiologically positive BMI/leptin relationship disappeared in thalassaemic patients. Conclusions: It seems that the adipocytes of thalassaemic patients are unable to maintain adequate leptin production. These results suggest that adipose tissue dysfunction can be considered as one of the endocrine pathies affecting thalassaemic patients.