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Leptin and C-reactive protein levels correlate during minor infection in children
Raz Somech1, Shimon Reif, Avraham Golander
1Department of Pediatrics, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. rsomech@hotmail.com
Insights
Leptin levels correlate with C-reactive protein (CRP) in children with minor infections, suggesting leptin is an acute-phase protein. While not a superior marker to CRP, it may influence symptoms like anorexia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Biochemistry
Background:
- Leptin, a hormone with diverse functions, has been implicated in the acute-phase response to inflammation.
- The relationship between leptin and other acute-phase reactants in children experiencing minor infections remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between serum leptin levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) in pediatric patients diagnosed with acute minor infections.
Main Methods:
- Serum leptin and CRP levels were quantified in 62 pediatric patients presenting with mild febrile illness.
- Patients were diagnosed with minor infections based on negative blood/urine cultures and positive clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was observed between serum leptin and CRP levels (r² = 0.5).
- Leptin also showed positive correlations with total white blood cell count (r² = 0.33) and absolute neutrophil count (r² = 0.31).
- The strongest regression coefficient was found between leptin and CRP.
Conclusions:
- Circulating leptin concentrations are positively associated with CRP levels during acute minor infections in febrile pediatric patients.
- These findings support the role of leptin as an acute-phase protein.
- Although leptin is not a more effective marker than CRP for minor infections, it may contribute to anorexia and weight loss in some patients.
Background:
Leptin, a pleiotropic hormone, has been suggested to be part of an acute-phase response during an inflammatory stimulus. Its correlation with other acute-phase reactants during minor infection in children has not been investigated.
Objectives:
To study the correlation between levels of serum leptin and those of C-reactive protein, a well-documented acute-phase reactant, in a series of pediatric patients with acute minor infections.
Methods:
Leptin and CRP levels were measured in 62 blood samples of pediatric patients presenting with mild febrile illness who were admitted to Dana Children's Hospital in Israel. All children were finally diagnosed as having minor infection based on the negative blood/urine cultures and favorable outcome.
Results:
Serum leptin level was positively correlated with CRP (r2 = 0.5), total white blood cells (r2 = 0.33) and absolute neutrophil count (r2 = 0.31). The regression coefficient was the highest between leptin and CRP.
Conclusions:
Circulating leptin concentrations are positively correlated with CRP levels during acute minor infection in children visiting the emergency room for febrile illnesses. Our observation suggests that leptin is indeed a part of acute-phase proteins. The wide scattering showed that it is not a better marker in minor infections than CRP, but it may contribute to weight loss and anorexia seen in a minority of patients during mild infections.
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