Relationship of regional adiposity to serum leptin level in nonobese Japanese type 2 diabetic male patients.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between serum leptin levels and regional adipose fat area, BMI, and the measures of variables including serum insulin in nonobese Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.


METHODS
A total of 121 nonobese Japanese type 2 diabetic patients [aged 35 to 83 years, body mass index (BMI) (15.4 to 26.8 kg/m(2))] were studied. They all were male patients. In conjunction with serum leptin level, BMI, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), and fasting concentrations of plasma glucose and serum insulin and lipids (triglycerides, total and HDL cholesterol) were measured.


RESULTS
Univariate regression analysis showed that serum leptin levels were positively correlated to subcutaneous (r=0.566, P<0.0001) and visceral (r=0.481, P<0.001) fat area in our diabetic patients. Furthermore, serum leptin levels were positively correlated to serum insulin (r=0.517, P<0.0001), BMI (r=0.428, P<0.0001), serum triglycerides (r=0.279, P<0.005), and age (r=0.225, P<0.05). There was, however, no relationship between serum leptin levels and measures of other variables including total and HDL cholesterol. Multiple regression analyses showed that serum leptin levels were predicted by subcutaneous fat area (F=5.92, P<0.0001) and serum insulin level (F=5.60, P<0.0001), which explained 29.0% of the variability of serum leptin concentrations in our nonobese Japanese type 2 diabetic male patients. Visceral fat area, BMI, serum triglycerides, and age, however, were not independently associated with serum leptin levels in our patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that serum leptin levels are reflective of subcutaneous fat area in nonobese Japanese type 2 diabetic male patients.
Okumura
T
T
Division of Diabetes, Kansai-Denryoku Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
Taniguchi
A
A
Nagasaka
S
S
Sakai
M
M
Fukushima
M
M
Kuroe
A
A
Yoshii
S
S
Nakamura
T
T
Ogura
M
M
Atarashi
T
T
Nishida
S
S
Nakai
Y
Y
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007564:Japan; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012867:Skin; D014781:Viscera
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids; D002784:Cholesterol