title: Leptin levels in patients with psoriasis: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been inconsistent results reported for leptin levels in patients with psoriasis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate leptin levels in patients with psoriasis using a meta-analysis of studies comparing leptin levels in controls and in patients with psoriasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant papers published in English. Pooled weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% CIs were calculated using random-effects and fixed-effects models. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the Cochran Q and I(2) statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 11 studies, comprising 773 patients with psoriasis and 570 healthy controls, were identified. Leptin levels were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis compared with controls (WMD = 7.24, 95% CI 4.55-9.93; P < 0.001). On stratified analysis, significant differences in leptin levels between patients with psoriasis and controls were reported only in serum samples (P < 0.001), and not in plasma samples (P = 0.025). Sensitivity analysis showed that there were no changes in the direction of effect when any one study was excluded. No publication bias was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leptin levels are higher in patients with psoriasis compared with those in controls. Future studies are warranted to clarify the association between leptin levels and the pathomechanism of psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. zhukunju1111@163.com
authors.forename: K-J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Y-M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin