Association between circulating leptin levels and systemic lupus erythematosus: an updated meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Endocrinology
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with complex pathogenesis.
• Leptin, a hormone primarily involved in regulating energy balance, has been implicated in immune modulation.
• Understanding factors influencing SLE pathogenesis is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the relationship between circulating leptin levels and SLE.
• To compare leptin levels in SLE patients versus healthy controls through meta-analysis.
• To investigate potential moderating factors such as ethnicity, sample size, and data type on this relationship.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases.
• Meta-analyses were performed to compare serum/plasma leptin levels between SLE patients and controls.
• Subgroup analyses were conducted based on ethnicity, sample size, data type, and matched variables (age, sex, BMI).

Main Results:

• Eighteen studies comprising 1333 SLE patients and 1048 controls were included.
• Leptin levels were significantly higher in the SLE group compared to the control group (SMD = 0.611, p < 0.001).
• This elevation persisted across diverse ethnicities, sample sizes, and data types, even after excluding outlier studies and adjusting for variables.

Conclusions:

• Circulating leptin levels are significantly elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
• The observed increase in leptin is a consistent finding across various demographic and methodological subgroups.
• These findings suggest a potential role for leptin in SLE pathogenesis or as a biomarker.