title: Association between leptin levels and doses of clomethiazole during alcohol withdrawal: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The issue of leptin as a putative state marker of alcohol use and its role in craving has been raised in the last few years. Recently, a strong GABA-ergic modulation of leptin was postulated. The aim of the pilot study was to examine leptin levels in correlation with the strongly GABA-mimetic active substance clomethiazole. The main hypothesis was that higher doses of the strong GABA-mimetic clomethiazole are positively correlated with higher leptin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight alcohol-dependent patients (3 females, median age 36 years) undergoing alcohol withdrawal were included. In 18 patients with and 10 without clomethiazole, serum leptin was analyzed at day 1 and day 7 of alcohol withdrawal. Both groups did not differ by age, BMI, or alcohol use characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the clomethiazole group, significant correlations were found between leptin levels at day 1 and clomethiazole dose (p = 0.004), clomethiazole and leptin at day 1/BMI (p = 0.009) and leptin at day 1 and clomethiazole/body surface (p = 0.006). Furthermore, patients with higher clomethiazole doses demonstrated significant higher leptin levels at day 1 (p = 0.044) and day 7 (p = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our pilot data show a strong association between leptin levels and clomethiazole doses, thus supporting further research.
authors: Psychiatric Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. gerhard.dammann@stgag.ch
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Dammann
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Walter
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Gremaud-Heitz
authors: Manfred
authors: M
authors: Wolfersdorf
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Hartmann
authors: Friedrich M
authors: FM
authors: Wurst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002719:Chlormethiazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D018757:GABA Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D018757:GABA Modulators; D020738:Leptin; D002719:Chlormethiazole