Plasma leptin levels in patients with burn injury: a preliminary report

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the plasma leptin level and clinical parameters in patients with burn injury. Six patients with burn injury were admitted to the Emergency and Critical Care Medicine Center of St. Marianna University Hospital within 1 h after injury. Plasma levels were monitored for leptin, proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF α)), stress-related parameters (adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and C-reactive protein (CRP)). The change in individual plasma leptin levels did not show similar pattern in all these patients. However, leptin levels remained within the normal range, except in a patient (Case 1) complicated with severe hypovolemic shock. Plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were also elevated in most of the patients. Examination of relationships among plasma leptin, proinflammatory cytokines, and stress-related parameters revealed a significant positive correlation between the plasma leptin level and IL-1β or IL-6. These results suggest that the plasma leptin level may have some relations to plasma proimflammatory cytokines in pathophysiologic responses to critical conditions of burn injury.