Serum and urine leptin concentration in children with nephrotic syndrome

Literature data point to the relationship between leptin concentration and certain markers of the metabolic syndrome, including cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoproteins. A substantial lipid metabolism disturbance occurs in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (NS). The aim of the study was to find out whether in NS children, serum and urine leptin levels change proportionally to lipid metabolism disturbances. The study was performed on two groups: (I) 30 children with NS (A) before, (B) during, prednisone therapy after proteinuria regression; (II) 25 healthy children. Serum and urine leptin levels were determined by the immunoenzymatic ELISA method. Serum leptin level in NS children before and after treatment was similar to that in the control group (p>0.05). Leptin urinary excretion in group A was approximately 60 times and in group B 24 times higher than in the controls (p<0.01). Before treatment, children with NS had increased concentrations of TC, TG, LDL, beta-lipoprotein, apolipoprotein B (apo B) (p<0.01) and reduced HDL and apolipoprotein A (apo A) (p<0.01). The conclusions were that: (1) in NS children leptin urinary excretion increases but its level is unchanged in serum; (2) serum leptin level is correlated with lipid parameters.