Original investigation

Serum leptin and its relation to anthropometric measures of obesity in pre-diabetic Saudis

Nasser M Al-Daghri¹ , Omar S Al-Attas² , Khalid Al-Rubeaan³ , Mehad Mohieldin⁴ , Mohammad Al-Katari⁵ , Alan F Jones⁶ and Sudhesh Kumar⁷

¹  Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

²  Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

³  Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁴  Diabetic Center, KAUH, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁵  Diabetic Center, KAUH, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁶  Clinical Biochemistry, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, B9 5SS, UK

⁷  Warwick Medical School, Diabetes & Metabolism Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK

author email corresponding author email

Cardiovascular Diabetology 2007, 6:18doi:10.1186/1475-2840-6-18

Published:	7 July 2007

Abstract

Background

Little information is available on leptin concentrations in individuals with IGT. This study aims to determine and correlate leptin levels to anthropometric measures of obesity in pre-diabetic, (IFG and IGT), type 2 diabetic and normoglycaemic Saudis.

Methods

308 adult Saudis (healthy controls n = 80; pre-diabetes n = 86; Type 2 diabetes n = 142) participated. Anthropometric parameters were measured and fasting blood samples taken. Serum insulin was analysed, using a solid phase enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay and also leptin concentrations, using radio-immunoassay. The remaining blood parameters were determined using standard laboratory procedures.

Results

Leptin levels of diabetic and pre-diabetic men were higher than in normoglycaemic men (12.4 [3.2–72] vs 3.9 [0.8–20.0] ng/mL, (median [interquartile range], p = 0.0001). In females, leptin levels were significantly higher in pre-diabetic subjects (14.09 [2.8–44.4] ng/mL) than in normoglycaemic subjects (10.2 [0.25–34.8] ng/mL) (p = 0.046). After adjustment for BMI and gender, hip circumference was associated with log leptin (p = 0.006 with R2 = 0.086) among all subjects.

Conclusion

Leptin is associated with measures of adiposity, hip circumference in particular, in the non-diabetic state among Saudi subjects. The higher leptin level among diabetics and pre-diabetics is not related to differences in anthropometric measures of obesity.