Evaluation of leptin and insulin resistance in patients with cholelithiasis

The association between insulin resistance, lipoproteins and leptin was evaluated in cholelithiasis. The study group included 55 women (68.8%) and 25 men (31.3%) with a mean age and SD of 50.56 +/- 14.28 yrs. The control group included 25 women (62.5%) and 15 men (37.5%) with a mean age of 50.93 +/- 11.73 yrs. Serum leptin levels were measured by the enzyme immunoassay method. HOMA-IR was determined by using fasting glucose and insulin levels. Insulin, total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, HOMA-IR (p < 0.01) and leptin (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the cholelithiasis group, compared to the controls. In patients with a HOMA-IR >2.2, age, body mass index (BMI), glucose, insulin, triglycerides (TG), TC and leptin levels were higher than in patients with a HOMA-IR < 2.2. In patients with glucose levels >100 mg/dl, mean BMI, HOMA-IR, insulin, TG, TC and leptin levels were significantly higher than in patients with glucose levels <100 mg/dl. In patients with TG levels >150 mg/dl, mean age, BMI, glucose, insulin, TC, leptin and HOMA-IR were significantly higher than in patients with TG levels < 150 mg/dl. In patients with BMI > 25 kg/m2, mean age, glucose, insulin, TG, TC, leptin, HOMA-IR were significantly higher than in patients with BMI < 25. In cholelithiasis group, there was a positive correlation between leptin and age, BMI, glucose, insulin, TG, TC, LDL-C or HOMA-IR. In conclusion, we found a positive association between increased leptin levels and abnormal lipoprotein metabolism in cholelithiasis. Cholelithiasis subjects with insulin resistance showed higher cardiometabolic risk factors than those without it.