Abstract:
Background: Past research studies have shown a significant correlation between serum leptin with various
components of metabolic syndrome.
Objective: To establish the correlation of leptin levels with various components of metabolic syndrome, its levels
were first measured and then its possible correlation was found out with each component of metabolic syndrome.
Methodology: This case-control study was conducted on 100 subjects (50 patients of MetS along with equal number
of age and sex matched controls) in Pathology Department, Army medical college, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.
Patients with a history of thyroid, hematological, liver and neoplastic diseases were excluded from this study. After
getting information regarding the history, anthropometric indices of obesity were measured and required laboratory
investigations were carried out to determine any correlation between serum leptin with metabolic syndrome
components. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 17.
Results: Laboratory investigations showed that MetS patients had elevated leptin levels of 12.98 ± 2.68 (ng/ml) as
compared to 5.34 ± 1.84 (ng/ml) in controls (p value < 0.001). In correlation analysis, serum leptin showed a
significant positive correlation with various components of metabolic syndrome like BMI (r; p value: 0.837; 0.001),
WC (r; p value: 0.730; 0.001), WHR (r; p value, 0.855; 0.001), HOMA-IR (r; p value, 0.853; 0.001) and insulin levels
(r; p value, 0.864; 0.001). TG exhibited a positive correlation with leptin (r; p value, 0.780; 0.001) as compared to
inverse correlation exhibited by HDL (r; p value, 0.818; 0.001).
Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome patients not only showed significantly raised serum leptin levels but also this
circulating leptin established a strong correlation with each component that fulfil the WHO criteria of metabolic
syndrome.
