Increased serum leptin levels and over expression of leptin receptors are associated with the invasion and progression of renal cell carcinoma. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • PURPOSE: Leptin, an adipocyte derived cytokine that is closely associated with obesity, was recently shown to be involved in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Because obesity is a significant risk factor for renal cell carcinoma, we investigated the link between leptin and the development of renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Associations between preoperative serum leptin levels and leptin receptor expression in tumor specimens and various clinicopathological parameters were analyzed in 57 patients with renal cell carcinoma. RESULTS: Serum leptin levels were 1.2 to 16.2 ng/ml (mean 4.5). Of 57 tumors 22 (38.6%) demonstrated high leptin receptor expression. Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in patients with vs without tumor specimen venous invasion (p = 0.030) and higher in patients with high vs low leptin receptor expression (p = 0.019). There were significant associations between high leptin receptor expression and the presence of venous invasion (p = 0.013), histological type (p = 0.0076) and regional lymph node metastasis (p = 0.047). Of 42 patients with N0M0 disease those with serum leptin 5.0 ng/ml or more had significantly shorter progression-free survival than patients with lower levels (p = 0.0043). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis demonstrated that higher serum leptin was an independent predictor of progression-free survival (p = 0.0406). CONCLUSIONS: Leptin and leptin receptor could have a key role in the invasion of renal cell carcinoma and they could be valuable predictors of progression.

publication date

  • October 1, 2006

Research

keywords

  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell
  • Kidney Neoplasms
  • Leptin
  • Receptors, Cell Surface

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 33748098353

PubMed ID

  • 16952705

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 176

issue

  • 4 Pt 1