Serum Leptin and Adiponectin Levels in de Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients: Correlation with Clinical Characteristics

Aim of the Study: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous clonal stem cell malignancy characterized by proliferation of immature hematopoietic cells. Adipokines in particular leptin and adiponectin are highly active molecules that attracted considerable interest due to their potential role in the development of cancer as a risk factor. We aimed to measure the body mass index, serum levels of leptin and adiponectin in AML patients, correlating these levels with standard prognostic markers of the disease.

Study Design: A total of 60 newly diagnosed AML patients and twenty healthy controls age and sex matched were enrolled.

Methodology: All cases had complete blood counts. Patients had bone marrow aspiration/biopsy specimens, EDTA peripheral blood or bone marrow aspirate specimens for flow cytometry analysis, and heparinised sample for cytogenetic study. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated by dividing body weight (kg) by square height (m2). Serum leptin and adiponectin were assayed by enzyme linked immune assays.

Results: Out of all AML patients; 33 patients (55%) presented with hepatomegaly; 29 patients (49%) presented with splenomegaly and 11 (18.3%) presented with lymphadenopathy. None of our patients showed extramedullary involvement. Serum leptin were determined at a level of 10.9±9.5 ng/ml in the patient group which is significantly lower than the controls 60.2±165.6 ng/ml (P= .05). Serum adiponectin showed highly significant lower levels in the studied group compared to controls 1.5±0.9 and 4.6±2.9 respectively (P<.001). No significant correlation was detected between serum adipokines and other clinical or laboratory parameters except a negative significant correlation was detected between serum adiponectin and bone marrow blast. Regarding cytogenetic analysis, no significant correlation was detected between cytogenetic and serum leptin and adiponectin levels (P= .98, .38), respectively.

Conclusion: The current study addressed the reduction of adipocytokines levels in AML together with negative correlation between bone marrow blasts and adiponectin levels suggesting the implication of adipocytokines in pathogenesis of AML, however these findings necessitate additional studies on large scale of cases.