Serum leptin levels in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Elevated serum leptin levels are associated with cardiovascular events. We investigated the role of serum leptin in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA).


METHODS
A total of 74 patients (55 men; 38 symptomatic and 36 asymptomatic; mean age 66.9 +/- 8.2 years) undergoing CEA for >70% carotid artery stenosis were enrolled.


RESULTS
Serum leptin levels were lower in symptomatic compared with asymptomatic patients (7.1 +/- 1.3 vs 14.4 +/- 4.7 ng/dL; P < .001). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were higher in symptomatic compared with asymptomatic patients (4.3 +/- 1.7 vs 3.3 +/- 1.1 pg/dL; P = .017). Symptomatic patients had more intense macrophage accumulation (0.7% +/- 0.1% vs 0.3% +/- 0.1%; P < .001). Serum leptin and serum IL-6 levels were independently associated with the presence of symptoms in multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum leptin levels were decreased in symptomatic carotid artery disease. This finding requires further investigation in larger studies.
Bountouris
Ioannis
I
Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Paraskevas
Kosmas I
KI
Koutouzis
Michael
M
Tzavara
Vassiliki
V
Nikolaou
Nikolaos
N
Nomikos
Alexandros
A
Barbatis
Calypso
C
Andrikopoulos
Vassilios
V
Mikhailidis
Dimitri P
DP
Andrikopoulou
Maria
M
Kyriakides
Zenon S
ZS
Georgopoulos
Sotirios
S
Michail
Panagiotis O
PO
Bastounis
Elias
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin