Association of Circulating Leptin with Bone Mineral Density in Males and Females
Suwannee Chanprasertyothin, MSc*, Noppawan Piaseu, PhD**, Laor Chailurkit, PhD* Rajata Rajatanavin, MD*, Boonsong Ongphiphadhanakul, MD**
Affiliation : * Department of Research Center, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol Unversity ** Department of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol Unversity
Leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, possesses several physiological functions not limited to
energy balance. Recently, leptin has been shown to inhibit bone formation through its action at the
hypothalamus. In the present study, the authors explored the asssocation of leptin with bone mineral density
(BMD) in men and women according to menopausal status. Subjects consisted of 75 men, 51 premenopausal
women and 63 postmenopausal women aged 20-80 years. All were healthy and did not take medication
which may affect bone metabolism. BMD was measured at L2-4 and femoral neck by DEXA. Serum leptin
concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay.
Serum leptin in males was independently related to BMD at L2-4 (r = -0.36, p < 0.05) and the
femoral neck (r = -0.32, p < 0.05) in a multiple linear regression model with age, body mass index (BMI),
serum free testosterone, estradiol and leptin as independent variables. In premenopausal women, serum
leptin correlated negatively to L2-4 (r = -0.29, p < 0.01) and femoral neck BMD (r = -0.29, p < 0.05)
independently of age and BMI. However, in postmenopausal women, no association of leptin with BMD was
found after controlling for age and BMI. The authors concluded that circulating leptin is negatively associated
with BMD in men and premenopausal women, but not in postmenopausal women. The negative associations
found in both premenopausal women and men in the present study strengthen the notion that leptin may
inhibit bone formation during the accumulation of bone mass early in life
Keywords : Leptin,bone mass,osteoporosis
