[Role of leptin in anorexia nervosa]

Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are the main psychiatric disorders characterised by abnormal models of feeding and perception of people's personal physical appearance and weight. These symptoms are associated with a severe psychosocial uneasiness that leads to severe medical complications and this, to its turn, has a big impact on morbidity and sick rate of general population. Although researchers have made big improvements in individualising some likely pathogenic mechanisms that include different factors (genetic, neurochemical and sociocultural) and psychological development, the pathogenesis of these kinds of feeding disorders is still unknown. Leptina is a neurochemical factor particularly relevant. It is a 17 KD hormone, produced by adipocytes. At hypothalamic level, it is essential for regulating body weight and body development. Recent studies have identified some factors responsible for the production and the secretion of leptina. They are micro and macronurishing factors, hormones and the sympatic neurotic system that is the most important among them. It plays a very important role for some disorders of feeding behaviour, specifically for the anorexia nervosa, where we notice a reduction of leptina levels strictly correlated to a reduction of the fat component. Since anorexia nervosa is associated to medical, nourishing and psychological components, it involves different areas and needs complete measurement and administration. Therefore the approach to this kind of pathology has necessarily to predict a multidisciplinary administration of patients. The aim of our work has been to point out the possible interactions between leptina and the development and progression of anorexia nervosa, on the basis of recent works and reviews in medical literature.