title: Serum leptin level and its association with fatigue in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fatigue is one of the most common presenting symptoms of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Its pathogenesis has been poorly investigated. Serum leptin levels are increased in cirrhosis and are suggested to have a role in the mediation of fatigue. This study was designed to assess possible association of serum leptin levels with fatigue and severity of liver disease in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients and 20 control subjects participated in the study. They were subjected to clinical and laboratory assessment, the determination of serum leptin level by ELISA and the assessment of fatigue using the multidimensional assessment of fatigue (MAF) scale. Respondents are asked to reflect on fatigue patterns for the past week. The MAF is a revision of the Piper Fatigue Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fatigue was present in all patients (100%) and 13 subjects of the control group (65%). There was a highly significant statistical difference between cases and controls regarding the presence and severity of fatigue. Serum leptin level was significantly higher in cases (24.9±28) in comparison to the control subjects (14.8±8). Serum leptin was not related to severity of liver disease as assessed by the Child Pugh classification. Serum leptin levels were directly correlated to the severity of fatigue (p<0.01) in patients but not in the control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatigue is highly prevalent in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV infection. Leptin might play a role in the mediation of fatigue in those patients drawing attention to biological basis of one of the most common symptoms facing clinician dealing with this problem.
authors.affiliation: Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbasseya Square, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Eman M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: El-Gindy
authors.forename: Fatma A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Ali-Eldin
authors.forename: Marwa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Meguid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D001663:Bilirubin