Study of serum leptin in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis

Authors

Ahmed A. Khames, Menoufia University
Esam El-Din I. Radwan, sMenoufia University
Maha Yousif, Menoufia University
Mai M. A. Elkhatib, Menoufia UniversityFollow
Osama F. Mansour, Menoufia University

Subject Area

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective To assess the level of serum leptin in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Background One of the most important and common complaint of patients with TB, which also affects the immune status, is weight loss. When TB infection occurs, a variety of chemokines and cytokines are secreted from infected cells and tissue macrophages. Leptin is a 16-kDa protein, and its level varies with active pulmonary TB. Patients and methods Serum leptin level was measured in 40 newly diagnosed patients with active pulmonary TB (group I) and 20 matched control (group II). Results Serum leptin level was significantly lower in patients with active pulmonary TB than controls. There was a highly significant positive correlation between leptin level and BMI. Serum leptin had a significantly negative correlation with grades of Ziehl–Neelsen stain and chest radiography. The cutoff point of leptin was found to be 0.54 ng/ml for discrimination of patients with active pulmonary TB. Conclusion Serum leptin hormone level was lower in patients with tuberculosis than in controls, which indicates that leptin plays a role in diminishing appetite, weight loss, and increasing susceptibility to infection.

Recommended Citation

Khames, Ahmed A.; I. Radwan, Esam El-Din; Yousif, Maha; Elkhatib, Mai M. A.; and Mansour, Osama F. (2019) "Study of serum leptin in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis," Menoufia Medical Journal: Vol. 32: Iss. 1, Article 35.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/mmj.mmj_514_17