Aim: To estimate leptin production in long-term steroid therapy, insulin resistance and obesity.
Material and methods: Leptin concentrations were measured with enzyme immunoassay in 101 patients with bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus and 31 healthy controls with overweight. The mean age was 54.4 +/- 14.1 years in males and 56.8 +/- 12.1 years in females. The body mass index ranged from 18 to 47 kg/m2, while leptin varied from 0.1 to 105.8 ng/ml.
Results: Leptin was highest in patients with bronchial asthma and steroids-induced diabetes mellitus, lower in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and obese controls while it was lowest in patients with atopic bronchial asthma.
Conclusion: Steroids and insulin resistance participate in the regulation of leptin production. Steroids induce hyperleptinemia in vivo more intensively than insulin.