慢性関節リウマチ患者の血清レプチン濃度の検討

西　谷　皓　次*1　西　山　　　充*2　Angela Chang*3
新　藤　　　篤*4　橋　本　浩　三*5 　　 　　　　 　 　 　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Serum Leptin Levels in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis are Correlated with
Body Mass Index

Koji NISHIYA, MD*1, Mitsuru NISHIYAMA, MD*2, Angela CHANG*3,
Atsushi SHINTO, MD*4 and Kozo HASHIMOTO, MD*5

Leptin, a 16-kD protein of the ob gene product, is produced by adipose tissue and acts on the hypothalamus to suppress neuropeptide Y secretion which reduces the appetite. It has been demonstrated that serum leptin levels in healthy subjects are correlated with body mass index(BMI). Leptin is also produced by stimulation of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and interleukin(IL)-1. Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is one of the chronic inflammatory diseases in which high serum cytokine levels are noted. In this study, we measured serum leptin levels(s-leptin) by RIA kit in 20 healthy subjects (10 males and 10 females) and 49 RA patients(14 males and 35 females) and the markers for joint inflammation such as ESR and CRP. There was no difference in s-leptin between controls(male: mean±SD＝5.6±3.0ng/ml; female: 7.8±4.5ng/ml) and RA patients(male: 4.9±3.2ng/ml; female: 9.1±5.7ng/ml). S-leptin was correlated with BMI in both healthy subjects and RA patients. However, there was no correlation between s-leptin and the values of ESR or CRP, disease stages in RA patients. In conclusion, s-leptin in RA patients reflects BMI but not joint inflammation.
[Rinsho Byori 50 : 524〜527, 2002]

*1Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku 783-8505

【Key Words】rheumatoid arthritis(慢性関節リウマチ)，leptin(レプチン)，body mass index(肥満度)，joint inflammation(関節炎)

受付2001年7月19日・受理2002年2月28日
*1,2,4,5高知医科大学第二内科(〒783-8505 南国市岡豊町小蓮)
*3University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry(Rochester, NY 14642, USA)
*1現在：西谷内科(〒720-0056 福山市本町5-20)

E-mail :nishiya@fukuyama.hiroshima.med.or.jp