A recent meta-analysis suggests that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may have substantial elevations in leptin levels compared with healthy control participants. Elevated leptin levels could serve as a potential marker for MS disease activity. The findings were published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 9 studies (645 patients with MS; 586 control participants) identified through a literature search on the PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases.
The pooled analysis of studies showed that patients with MS had significantly higher levels of leptin compared with healthy control participants (standardised mean difference [SMD], 0.70; P<.001). The sub-group analysis indicated that region, age, sample size, measurement type, sex, and blood sample type had a positive association with leptin levels in patients with MS (SMD, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.24-1.15 for all). Sensitivity analysis showed that the results remain reliable and stable after exclusion of any 1 study.
The authors, however, warn that the results should be interpreted with caution owing to significant heterogeneity among studies. They call for further research through mechanism studies and longitudinal cohort studies to elucidate the role of leptin in the pathogenesis of MS.
