The relationships between leptin and inflammatory cytokines in women with pre-eclampsia.

Abstract

To compare maternal serum leptin concentration in women with pre-eclampsia and women with normal pregnancy, and to evaluate the relationships between leptin and several inflammatory cytokines. Prospective clinical study. University Hospital of Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain. Twenty-seven women with pre-eclampsia and 25 normotensive pregnant women. Maternal serum levels of TNF-alpha, TGF-beta1, interleukin 6, and leptin were measured using a commercially available immunoassay. Maternal serum levels of leptin and its relationship to levels of TNF-alpha, TGF-beta1 and interleukin 6. Maternal serum leptin levels were higher in women with pre-eclampsia, but this difference was of borderline statistical significance (median 15.9 ng/mL; interquartile range (5.4-31.9) vs 30.5 ng/mL (13.9-64) (P = 0.05). The concentration of maternal serum leptin was correlated with pre-gestational and gestational body mass index (r = 0.45, P = 0.03; r = 0.44, P = 0.04), TNF-alpha concentration (r = 0.57, P = 0.002) and interleukin-6 level (r = 0.46, P = 0.02) in women with normal pregnancy. In women with pre-eclampsia, only a significant correlation between maternal serum leptin level and TNF-alpha concentration (0.47, P = 0.01) was found. The level of maternal serum leptin is increased and correlates positively with the level of TNF-alpha in women with pre-eclampsia. In women with a normal pregnancy leptin levels not only correlate with TNF-alpha, but also with IL-6 and body mass index.