title: Lack of association between serum leptin levels and hepatic steatosis, fibrosis or response to antiviral therapy in Korean chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leptin has been recently implicated in the development of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. The serum levels of leptin are known to be strongly affected by anthropometric parameters such as body mass index (BMI) and total body fat, which show differences between races or ethnicities. In this study, we examined whether serum leptin levels are correlated with clinical, virological, and histological features, and with response to antiviral therapy in Korean CHC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated correlations between serum leptin level and age, sex, BMI, fasting glucose, alanine aminotransferase, genotype, hepatitis C virus RNA titer, steatosis, fibrosis, and response to antiviral therapy after 24 weeks completing 24 weeks of interferon-alpha based therapy in 47 Korean CHC patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the variables examined, only female sex and a BMI > 25kg/m2 were identified as independent variables related to a higher leptin level by multivariate analysis. Baseline leptin levels and leptin changes before/after antiviral therapy were not correlated with response to therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Korean CHC patients, serum leptin levels were found to be correlated with anthropometric parameters, but not with virological or histological features. In addition, serum leptin levels did not predict response to antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yungun-dong Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Geum-Youn
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Gwak
authors.forename: Tae Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Su Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jung-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jin Jung
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Su Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyo-Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D020738:Leptin; D012367:RNA, Viral