[Role of serum leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in malnutrition of male chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the function of serum leptin in COPD patients with malnutrition, and to investigate the relationship between leptin and TNF-alpha.


METHODS
A total of 81 subjects (47 COPD patients and 34 control subjects) participated in this study. The 47 COPD patients were divided into 2 groups: group COPD I (patients without malnutrition during stable disease, n=29), group COPDII (patients with malnutrition during stable disease, n=18). To eliminate the effect of sex differences, all the patients and controls were male. Body mass index (BMI), percent ideal body weight (IBWå), triceps skin-fold thickness (TSF), mid-upper arm circumference (MAC), mid-upper arm muscle circumference(MAMC),serum leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) levels, serum prealbumin (PA), serum transferrin (TF), serum albumin(Alb),total lymphocytes count (TLC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)), maximal inspiration pressure(MIP)and maximal expiration pressure(MEP)were measured in all participants. Leptin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. TNF-alpha levels were measured by ELISA. The between group difference and correlation of these parameters were analysed.


RESULTS
(1) Serum leptin levels were significantly lower in group COPDII (4.07+/-3.42 microg/L) than in group COPD I (9.72+/-6.67 microg/L) and controls (8.21+/- 5.41 microg/L, P<0.05). (2) There were no statistical differences in serum TNF-alpha levels between group COPDII (8.03+/-3.37 ng/L)and group COPD I (7.25+/- 2.08 ng/L). (3) There was no significant correlation between leptin and TNF-alpha in any group.


CONCLUSIONS
Leptin was not involved in anorexia and weight loss of COPD patients. There was no significant correlation between TNF-alpha and leptin during the regulation of the energy balance in COPD patients.
Yang
Yi-meng
YM
Department of Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
Sun
Tie-ying
TY
Liu
Xin-min
XM
D000368:Aged; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology
D020738:Leptin; D014168:Transferrin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha