A longitudinal study of leptin and appetite,resting energy expenditure and body fat mass in weight-stable cancer patients

Leptin and its relationship with energy metabolism in male weight-stable patients with colorectal liver metastases (n=14) was assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks. At baseline, median leptin concentration was 5.9 microg/l and the median percentage fat mass was 32.1%. Circulating leptin concentrations were correlated with measured percentage fat mass at baseline (r(s)=0.519, P=0.040) and with the changes after 6 weeks (r(s)=0.611, P=0.027) but not with insulin, cortisol, C-reactive protein, appetite or resting energy expenditure. Therefore, it would appear that leptin concentrations reflect changes in fat mass in male weight-stable patients with cancer and their role in the regulation of energy metabolism appears more complex than previously proposed.