Assessment of BMI, Serum Leptin Levels and Lipid Profile in Patients with Skin Tags.
BACKGROUND
Skin tags (ST) are benign lesions composed of loose fibrous tissue, associated with obesity and atherogenic profile. Thus help in the follow up by considering ST as a useful cutaneous sign for the risk factor of atherosclerosis.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association of skin tags with BMI, serum leptin and lipid profile.


METHODS
The study was carried out in 40 cases with ST and 40 age and gender matched controls. Subjects on oral contraceptives and systemic drugs especially lipid lowering agents, pregnant women, cases with medical history of endocrine disease, acute infection, erythroderma and psoriasis, cases with a drug history of isotretinoin use in last six months were excluded from the study. Blood samples were collected. Serum lipids and serum leptin were estimated.


RESULTS
The acrochordons group showed significantly higher values of BMI, total cholesterol (TC) and TC/HDL ratio. 60% of the patients with ST were overweight and 10% were obese. There was no statistical significant difference in leptin levels between the groups. Leptin showed a positive significant correlation with BMI in the acrochordons group.


CONCLUSIONS
All the above derangements confirm that ST is cutaneous findings frequently associated with obesity and dyslipidemia. Thus follow-up of these patients with regard to the development of diseases associated with atherosclerosis may be beneficial.
Tutor, Department of Biochemistry, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , Bangalore, India .
Sadaf
S
Idris
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences , Bangalore, India .
S
S
Sunitha
Dyslipidemia; Hyperleptinemia; Obesity; Skin tags