Antibodies Reactive to Leptin in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes and Its Relationship with Clinical, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Risk Parameters

ABSTRACT

Background and aims

Patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have shown alterations in the affinity of IgG anti-leptin antibodies which are possibly related to metabolic alterations. In the present exploratory study, we analyzed serum samples from adults with T2D classified by body mass index (BMI) and evaluated the relationship of IgG anti-leptin antibodies with body composition, metabolic and cardiovascular risk parameters.

Methods

Serum IgG anti-leptin antibodies (total, free and immune complexes fractions) were measured by in-house ELISA. Body composition, metabolic biomarkers (glucose, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, insulin, leptin) and cardiometabolic risk indexes (AIP, HOMA-IR, HOMA-ß) were evaluated in one hundred T2D patients.

Results

Patients with T2D and obesity presented a decrease in the percentage of IgG anti-leptin immune complexes compared to patients with T2D and overweight (p < 0.0053). Negative correlations of IgG anti-leptin immune complexes with triglycerides (TG) (r=-0.412, p = 0.023) and VLDL-C (r=-0.611, p = 0.017) were found in normal weight T2D patients. Free IgG anti-leptin antibodies correlated positively with TC (r = 0.390, p = 0.032) and LDL-C (r = 0.458, p = 0.011) in overweight individuals with T2D. Finally, total IgG anti-leptin antibodies correlated positively with leptin hormone levels (r = 0.409, p = 0.024) and negatively with HOMA-IR (r =-0.459, p = 0.012) in T2D patients with obesity.

Conclusions

The decrease of IgG anti-leptin immune complexes observed in patients with T2D and obesity suggests a reduction in antibody affinity to the hormone that may impact its transport and signaling, lipid, lipoprotein and insulin metabolism.

KEYWORDS:

• Anti-leptin antibodies
• body composition
• leptin resistance
• metabolic alterations
• obesity

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by ‘Consejo Estatal de Ciencia y Tecnología de Jalisco (COECYTJAL), Project No. 7942, granted to ZRC. The funding sources were not involved in the design nor any steps of the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ Contributions

ZRC and JFMV designed the study, ABVA, MPQ, RVS, EAZC and RTV, contributed to patient’s data acquisition and performing experiments, ABVA and RVS analyzed data, EVM, LAHP contributed to data interpretation. ABVA wrote the article with contributions and suggestions from all authors. All authors had access to the data, contributed to the discussion and interpretation of the results, and approved the final article. All authors meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship.

Availability of Data

The datasets of this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author ZRC.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by ‘Consejo Estatal de Ciencia y Tecnología de Jalisco (COECYTJAL), Project No. 7942, granted to ZRC. The funding sources were not involved in the design nor any steps of the study.