Research Shows Leptin Links to OA

Research Shows Leptin Link to OA

A French study may have found a major culprit in the developmentof osteoarthritis (OA)?leptin. Leptin, an obesity-relatedhormone, isproduced in the body's fat tissue and regulates food intakeand energyoutput. In a study of 20 patients with OA, the researcherstested for thepresence of leptin in samples of synovial fluid and cartilagesamplesfrom the joints. Of the 20 participants, 11 were having kneereplacementsurgery and 9 were undergoing knee arthroscopy.

The researchers compared the expression of leptin in thecartilage ofthe OA patients with that found in normal tissue. Also, theycompared theconcentration of leptin found in the synovial fluid of the OApatients withtheir body mass index (BMI), as well as the level of their OAseverity.Theresults showed that leptin concentrations correlated with highBMI, andleptin expression in OA joints related to the grade of cartilagedestruction.The researchers concluded that more research is needed on therole of leptin throughout the course of OA. (The findings werepublishedin the November 2003 issue of Arthritisand Rheumatism.)