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. 2023 Jul 5;13(7):1078.
doi: 10.3390/biom13071078.

Clinical Significance of Plasma Leptin and Its Receptors mRNA Expression in Craniopharyngiomas: A Prospective Study

Youchao Xiao  1 , Wentao Wu  1 , Kefan Cai  1 , Lu Jin  1 , Yanfei Jia  1 , Ning Qiao  1 , Fangzheng Liu  1 , Siming Ru  1 , Lei Cao  1 , Songbai Gui  1
Affiliations

Clinical Significance of Plasma Leptin and Its Receptors mRNA Expression in Craniopharyngiomas: A Prospective Study

Youchao Xiao et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

Craniopharyngioma (CP) is a benign tumor with a high rate of obesity and frequent recurrence. Moreover, the role of leptin/leptin receptors axis in obesity and the prognosis of CP is still unknown. Plasma leptin concentration and mRNA expression of leptin receptors were assessed in patients with CP. Moreover, the association between leptin/leptin receptors axis, weight-related outcomes, and progression-free survival (PFS) were explored in CP patients. Leptin receptors overexpressed in CP tumor tissue were compared to normal brain tissue (p < 0.05); compared to healthy controls, the concentration of leptin was elevated in CP with or without matched age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.05). The high plasma leptin level was an independent risk predictor for significant weight gain (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.29, and p = 0.030) and new-onset obesity (aOR = 6.64, and p = 0.016). High plasma leptin level (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 3.74, and p = 0.011) and leptin receptor (LEPR) mRNA expression (aHR = 3.12, and p = 0.045) were independent risk factors for poor PFS in CP. Inappropriately elevated leptin relative to BMI and its failure to inhibit further weight gain indicate the existence of leptin resistance in patients with CP. Leptin and LEPR were independent predictors for PFS of patients with CP. The leptin/leptin receptors axis may be a potential therapeutic target for obesity in patients with CP.

Keywords: craniopharyngioma; leptin; leptin resistance; obesity; progression-free survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The flowchart of patient selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The mRNA expressions of (A) LEPR, (B) LEPROT, and (C) LEPROTL1 were elevated in the tumor tissue of CP compared to normal brain tissue. Compared to healthy controls, the plasma leptin concentration was higher in (D) patients with CP and (E) age, sex, and body mass index-matched patients with CP. (F) The correlation between plasma leptin and leptin receptors. LEPR, leptin receptor; LEPROT, leptin receptor overlapping transcript; LEPROTL1, leptin receptor overlapping transcript-like 1. * means p < 0.05, ** means p < 0.01.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Univariate logistic analysis for (A) significant weight gain and (C) new-onset obesity. Multivariate logistic analysis for (B) significant weight gain and (D) new-onset obesity. Clinical parameters, including age, sex, histopathologic subtype, calcification, hypothalamus involvement, the extent of surgical resection, and preoperative body mass index, were adjusted in multivariate logistic analysis. uOR, unadjusted odds ratio; aOR, adjusted odds ratio.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prognostic value of plasma leptin and mRNA expression of leptin receptors. The Kaplan–Meier curves indicate that poor PFS was associated with (A) high plasma leptin and (B) LEPR mRNA expression but not (C) LEPROT mRNA expression and (D) LEPRROTL1 mRNA expression. (E) Multivariate Cox analysis shows that high plasma leptin and LEPR mRNA expression were independent risk factors for poor PFS in patients with CP. Clinical parameters, including age, sex, histopathologic subtype, calcification, hypothalamus involvement, the extent of surgical resection, and preoperative body mass index, were adjusted in multivariate Cox analysis. aHR, adjusted hazard ratio.
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Grants and funding

This study is supported by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (Grant No. Z191100006619087), the Beijing Hospitals Authority Clinical medicine Development of Special Funding Support (XMLX202108).