Serum Leptin levels in Rheumatoid arthritis and relationship with disease activity

Aim of the workThis study was designed to measure the serum leptin level in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and to correlate it with clinical manifestations and disease activity.Patients and methodsSixty adult RA patients (58 females and 2 males) and 30 healthy subjects matching age serving as the control group, were included in this study. Assessment of disease activity was done using the DAS-28 scoring system. Calculation of body mass index (BMI) was carried out for both RA patients and controls. Measurement of the serum leptin level in RA patients and controls was done using the DRG leptin ELISA Kit.ResultsRA patients showed statistically significant higher mean serum leptin level than healthy controls (24.86 ± 26.41 versus 10.73 ± 8.19 ng/dl respectively, P = 0.004). In addition, serum leptin level showed a statistically significant positive correlation with body mass index (P < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between serum leptin level and patients’ age, disease duration and disease activity. Mean serum leptin level was 25.2 ng/ml in seropositive patients and 24.5 ng/ml in seronegative patients, a finding which proved to be statistically significant when comparing the two groups (P = 0.004).ConclusionsEven though serum leptin level was significantly higher in the RA patients than in the control group, no correlation was found between leptin level and clinical and laboratory parameters of disease activity. However the serum leptin level positively correlated with BMI in the RA patients.