A prospective study of body weight and serum leptin levels in patients treated with topiramate.
OBJECTIVE
We prospectively studied 26 (10 women) patients (age, 37.4 +/- 10.3 years) with different types of refractory focal epilepsy who received topiramate as adjunctive treatment.


METHODS
Body mass indices (BMI, kg/m2) and serum leptin levels (SLL) were investigated at baseline (n = 26) and 9.5 +/- 2.9 (T1; n = 21) and 25.0 +/- 3.5 (T2; n = 18) weeks after initiation of topiramate.


RESULTS
We found significant reductions in BMI (T1, -0.4 +/- 0.7; T2, -1.3 +/- 2.1 kg/m2) but not in SLL, although a tendency for reduced SLL was observed for women. Serum leptin level changes were mostly within the range between fifth and 95th sex-specific BMI-adjusted reference percentiles. Significant inverse correlations were found between baseline values and changes in both BMI (T2; r = -0.76; P < 0.001) and SLL (T2; r = -0.65; P = 0.003). Patients with BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or greater showed the highest weight loss at T2 (-4.8 +/- 3.2 kg/m2).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not provide evidence for a direct causal involvement of leptin in topiramate-related weight loss.
Theisen
Frank M
FM
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Beyenburg
Stefan
S
Gebhardt
Stefan
S
Kluge
Michael
M
Blum
Werner F
WF
Remschmidt
Helmut
H
Elger
Christian E
CE
Hebebrand
Johannes
J
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005632:Fructose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D000077236:Topiramate
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D020738:Leptin; D000077236:Topiramate; D005632:Fructose