A Study of Leptin Serum Concentrations in Patients with Major Beta-Thalassemia

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate leptin serum levels in patients with major beta thalassemia which was also associated with their ferritin serum levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS This case-control study was performed on 90 children -6 months to 16 years old, in Zabol, Amir- al- Momenin Hospital. Patients were divided in two groups and were matched in age and sex. All Children were examined and those eligible children who had not known heart disease, iron deficiency anemia, kidney disease, diabetes, fever and systemic diseases were enrolled after taking the informed consent of their parents. After collecting the samples, leptin and ferritin levels of the serum were measured in two groups by ELISA method. Then, the data was analyzed by the related statistical tests and SPSS 20 software. RESULTS The mean of the serum levels of leptin and ferritin showed a significant difference in the case and control groups (P-value<0.05). An inverse statistical correlation was found for the serum levels of leptin and ferritin among the studied groups (P-value<0.05). Levels of leptin in the case group showed a significant gender difference (P-value<0.05), while based on BMI and age, no significant difference was observed for the serum levels of leptin in the case group. CONCLUSION Based on the results of this study, major thalassemia reduces serum levels of leptin regardless of age and body mass. The study also found an inverse statistical correlation between serum levels of leptin and ferritin among the studied people.