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. 2020 Sep-Oct;34(5):2485-2490.
doi: 10.21873/invivo.12064.

Role of Leptin in Neoplastic and Biliary Tree Disease

Paolo Izzo  1 , Sara Izzo  2 , Pierfrancesco DI Cello  3 , Gabriele D'Amata  4 , Maurizio Cardi  1 , Andrea Polistena  1 , Daniela Messineo  5 , Luciano Izzo  6
Affiliations

Role of Leptin in Neoplastic and Biliary Tree Disease

Paolo Izzo et al. In Vivo. 2020 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Background/aim: Leptin is a small hormone of protein nature, it is strongly involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and its functioning mechanism is not yet well known or whether or not it is actually secreted by cholangiocytes, nor if the biliary tree expresses its receptors. In the past, various studies have tried to correlate leptin levels with certain neoplasms. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that serum leptin values can become a new sensitive and specific serum marker for cholangiocarcinoma.

Materials and methods: Seventy-two patients with gallbladder stones, hepatolithiasis with benign biliary stenosis, cholangiocarcinoma, and a group of patients without hepato-biliary diseases were enrolled in the study. In all cases blood and bile samples were collected for evaluation of leptin levels and liver biopsies were performed to confirm diagnosis. In all patients, both ultrasound and cholangio-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed to complete the diagnostic procedure.

Results: Twenty-two patients were affected by cholangiocarcinoma, 50 by benign biliary disease (35 cholelithiasis and 6 hepatolithiasis and 9 by inflammatory biliary stenosis). The mean values of serum leptin in patients with cholangiocarcinoma were 19.28±8.76 ng/ml, significantly higher than those observed in non-neoplastic biliary diseases.

Conclusion: Serum leptin levels might be a useful marker to differentiate patients with cholangiocarcinoma from those with biliary lithiasis and inflammatory stenosis.

Keywords: Biliary neoplasm; cholelithiasis; leptin; markers; serum.

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Conflict of interest statement

The Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare in regard to this study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Cholangio-MR showing thickened and edematous walls of the gallbladder and the presence of lithiasic formations, one of which is positioned at neck level and biliary mud.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Population of patients included in the study.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Distribution of leptin values among the examined population.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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