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Abstract
Until the discovery of leptin 20 years ago, adipose tissue was considered only as a fat storage organ, involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis. At present, it is well known that adipokines, being leptin the forerunner of this superfamily, may act in different biological processes, including inflammation and immunity. In this review, we have explored the recent evidence about the relationship between leptin and immune system, summarizing the most important findings related to the involvement of leptin in both innate and adaptive immune response.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Key issues
Leptin participates in both innate and adaptive immunity.
Leptin levels are increased during infection and in experimental models of inflammation.
Leptin induces the proliferation and activation of monocytes.
Leptin induces the expression of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in monocytes.
db/db mice present an natural killer cell function.
Both ob/ob and db/db mice presented impaired T-cell immunity.
Leptin attenuates thymocyte apoptosis in mice and rats.
Leptin regulates the number and activation of T lymphocytes.