Short-term treatment with prednisolone has no lasting effect on serum leptin

It has been suggested that the leptin-stimulating effect of short-term treatment with systemic glucocorticoids may last several weeks to months. The aim of the present study was to assess serum leptin during and four days after withdrawal of short-term treatment with prednisolone. The study comprised 20 healthy subjects (12 men and 8 premenopausal women aged 19-45 years: mean 31 years). The design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study with 2 days' run in, 3 days' treatment and 4 days' run out. No medication was given during run in and run out. During the treatment period the subjects took prednisolone, 20 mg twice daily, or placebo. Blood was collected on the last day of each period. In the prednisolone group comparisons of run in (mean serum leptin (+/- SEM) (4.94 (1.31)) with treatment (7.08 (1.39)) and run out (5.20 (1.84)) microg/L) showed a significant stimulating effect of treatment (p=0.03, t=-2.6, 95%, confidence interval -4.0 to -0.25 microg/L), whereas no statistically significant variation between run in and run out was detected (p=0.47, t=0.8, confidence interval -2.63 to 1.35 microg/L). Inter-group comparisons of run in with treatment and run out showed elevated leptin concentrations during prednisolone treatment (p=0.03) but no statistically significant variations between run in and run out data (p=0.88). In healthy adults the stimulating effects on serum leptin of short-term prednisolone seem to last only a few days after withdrawal of treatment.