Leptin levels in thyroid cancer

Abstract

Background: Leptin has physiological roles in multiple systems, and has possible effects on several carcinogenesis steps. The aim of this study was to investigate the leptin levels in thyroid papillary carcinoma (TPC) patients.

Methods: Forty-three female TPC patients and 30 healthy female control subjects were recruited for the study. TPC was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy. TPC patients had a bilateral total thyroidectomy operation and their leptin levels were measured before and 20 days after the operation.

Results: Serum leptin levels of TPC patients were higher than in control group subjects (21.15 +/- 14.12 ng/mL vs. 9.89 +/- 0.21 ng/mL, p < 0.05). The leptin levels decreased after total thyroidectomy (13.92 +/- 10.55 ng/mL) compared to prethyroidectomy levels (22.94 +/- 14.67 ng/mL) in 34 patients who came to the follow-up visit (p < 0.05). However, the decreased post-thyroidectomy levels of leptin were still statistically significantly higher than the control group levels. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the leptin levels in TPC patients were not related to age, menopausal status or pathologic occult status but were directly related to the cancer group.

Conclusion: Leptin levels were elevated in thyroid cancer, decreased after total thyroidectomy, and might be associated with thyroid papillary carcinogenesis.