leptin and Hepatitis-A

Recent reports suggest that adipokines are potent modulators of inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that the decreased food intake and the acute liver disease might be associated with changes of serum ghrelin, adipokines and insulin levels.. Fasting ghrelin, adiponectin, leptin, resistin and insulin were measured in 25 children suffering from acute viral hepatitis, caused by either hepatitis A or Epstein-Barr viruses. The age of the patients ranged from 2.2 to 17.2 years (mean: 10.4 years); 10 male and 15 female. Samples for hormones and liver function tests were drawn at 08 : 00 to 09 : 00 h after an overnight fast. The first samples were collected in the morning after the day of admission, the second samples after 2 months of recovery.. Ghrelin and adiponectin levels were significantly higher during hepatitis than after recovery (831.4+/-276.44 vs. 736.21+/-274.91 pg/ml, P<0.0001; and 22.91+/-12.93 vs. 15.16+/-8.81 microg/ml, P<0.001, respectively). Adiponectin levels correlated significantly with age-specific and sex-specific body mass index-matched percentile values as well (P=0.0062). Linear regression analysis confirmed that there was a significant association of changes in serum ghrelin and resistin levels and the severity of hepatitis (P=0.005; P<0.05). We could verify a marginal relationship of the changes of serum leptin and the severity of the disease (P=0.0646).. This study confirms that there are significant changes in serum levels of ghrelin, and adipokines in disease-associated malnutrition and acute hepatitis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adipokines; Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; Fasting; Female; Ghrelin; Hepatitis A; Hepatitis, Viral, Human; Humans; Leptin; Male; Resistin

In acute viral hepatitis A (AVH-A), involvement of the liver is through cytotoxic cells and cytokine levels are increased Immune response of the host determines the severity of the disease. Leptin stimulates cytokines, therefore, the authors hypothesized that the relationship between leptin and cellular immunity might cause different clinical presentations of the disease.. Twenty-eight children with AVH-A and 10 healthy children formed the basis of the study. Serum leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) levels were determined. There was significant positive correlation between body mass index (BMI) and leptin levels both in patients and controls (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001 respectively). No significant difference in serum leptin, CRP or A1AT levels between patients and controls was detected (p > 0.05). Presence of icterus or fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) did not affect serum leptin level (p > 0.05). Mean A1AT level was significantly higher in children with FHF (p < 0.05). On the 30th day of admission, mean BMI, weight and leptin levels increased (p < 0.01, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively) and mean A1AT level decreased (p < 0.01).. Leptin levels are not altered in children with AVH-A. In the convalescence period, leptin increased parallel to BMI. It is suggested that expected increment in leptin due to inflammation might be balanced with the decrease due to loss of appetite during acute illness or it might be entirely due to loss of production.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adolescent; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; Body Mass Index; C-Reactive Protein; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Hepatitis A; Humans; Infant; Inflammation; Leptin; Liver; Male