Leptin levels of alcohol abstainers and detoxification patients are not different.
OBJECTIVE
Leptin is a cytokine-type peptide hormone, recently implicated as a putative state marker of alcohol use and in craving. Our goal was to evaluate the potential of leptin as a state and trait marker and to rule out the role of current alcohol intoxication on leptin levels.


METHODS
Eighteen alcohol withdrawal patients (16 males, 2 females) whose blood contained 202 mg/dl (median) of ethanol at hospitalization, who had a median age of 43.5 years and had consumed 1075 g of ethanol (median) in the last 7 days were included in the study. Leptin was determined in samples at day 1 (when still intoxicated) and day 7 of withdrawal. Expected leptin levels were calculated with a formula. For comparison, 27 blood samples of 18 abstinent persons, matched for gender, age and body mass index were used. Furthermore, mean cell volume, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and body composition (bioimpedance device) were determined. For statistical analysis, SPSS 11 was used.


RESULTS
Expected leptin levels were 1.71 ng/ml (median), leptin measured at day 1 was 2.65 ng/ml (median) and 2.85 ng/ml on day 7 for the alcohol withdrawal patients and 2.2 ng/ml (median) for the abstainers. These concentrations were not significantly different. Significant correlations were found between leptin day 1 and expected leptin levels, percentage fat body mass, cigarettes smoked per day, GGT and blood alcohol concentration.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary data do not support the hypothesis of leptin as a state or trait marker and suggest only a minor influence of acute intoxication on leptin levels in alcohol detoxification patients.
Wurst
Friedrich Martin
FM
Psychiatric University Clinic and Department Central Laboratory, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Bechtel
Gaby
G
Forster
Stefan
S
Wolfersdorf
Manfred
M
Huber
Peter
P
Scholer
André
A
Pridzun
Lutz
L
Alt
Andreas
A
Seidl
Stephan
S
Dierkes
Jutta
J
Dammann
Gerhard
G
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D013695:Temperance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin