title: Exogenous leptin restores in vitro T cell proliferation and cytokine synthesis in patients with common variable immunodeficiency syndrome.
abstract: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia. Leptin has been implicated as an antiapoptotic compound as well as a stimulant of the immune response. Leptin administration is capable of reversing the immune deficiency that occurs upon starvation. We investigated a possible role for leptin in CVID; a condition associated with lowered plasma leptin levels. Thirty-eight patients were studied. Addition of leptin to the tissue culture media of PBMC from CVID patients increased the proliferative response of lymphocytes to mitogens and decreased activation-induced apoptosis of these cells. IL-2 and specially IL-4 production also increased significantly upon addition of leptin to the PBMC cultures. Our results suggest that leptin may be involved in some of the cellular defects observed in CVID and indicate a novel therapeutic strategy to improve immune function in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. goldberg@usp.br
authors.forename: Anna Carla
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Freddy Goldberg
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Eliaschewitz
authors.forename: Wagner Ricardo
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Montor
authors.forename: Gisele Vanessa
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Baracho
authors.forename: Paolo Ruggero
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Errante
authors.forename: Mariana Alejandra
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Callero
authors.forename: Maria Regina Alves
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Patricia Emilia
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalil
authors.forename: Mari Cleide
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Sogayar
authors.forename: Luiz Vicente
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017074:Common Variable Immunodeficiency / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D020738:Leptin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016014:Linear Models; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D020738:Leptin; D015847:Interleukin-4