Background Behçet's syndrome is a systemic, relapsing immuno-inflammatory disease with a generalized vasculitis of the microvasculature endothelial dysfunction. Leptin, a recently discovered neuroendocrine hormone, is a metabolic peptide that appears to be involved. Serum proinflammatory cytokines upregulate leptin levels and leptin itself directly induces nitric oxide production from endothelial cells with its specific receptors.
Objectives:
To detect changes of serum leptin concentrations in patients with behçet's syndrome compared with age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. we also investigated whether disease activity or the duration of behçet's syndrome correlates with leptin concentration.
Methods:
Thirty-five consecutive patients with behçet's syndrome (41.2 +/- 8.4 years, 16 male, 19 female) and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (40.4 +/- 10.91 years, nine male, 11 female) were included in this study. the body mass index (bmi) [weight (kg) height(-1) (m(2))] was calculated for subjects at study enrollment. we measured serum leptin with a leptin enzyme immunoassay kit, and acute-phase reactants, including erythrocyte sedimentation rate, alpha1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-macroglobulin and neutrophil count. the mann-whitney u-test was used for statistical analysis and p < 0.05 was considered significant. values were expressed as mean +/- sd.
Results:
The gender ratio, age and bmi were not substantially different among behçet's patients and controls. the mean serum leptin concentrations in patients with behçet's syndrome (16.8 +/- 7.49 ng ml(-1)) were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than in healthy control volunteers (7.5 +/- 2.77 ng ml(-1)). active behçet's patients had significantly (p = 0.001) higher leptin concentrations (20.5 +/- 7.99 ng ml(-1)) when compared with patients in inactive periods (12.8 +/- 4.43 ng ml(-1)). in addition, patients with longer disease duration (mean, 20.1 +/- 5.15 years) had also significantly (p = 0.013) higher leptin concentrations (20.2 +/- 8.52 ng ml(-1)) than those with shorter disease duration (13.4 +/- 4.52 ng ml(-1)) (mean, 7.4 +/- 3.29 years). all acute-phase reaction parameters were found to be significantly (for each, p < 0.01) increased in active disease.
Conclusions:
Leptin may have a role in modulating endothelial function and may be involved in mechanisms for vessel endothelium repair, during an exacerbation as well as in chronic disease.