Korean J Gastroenterol.  2014 Jun;63(6):354-360. 10.4166/kjg.2014.63.6.354.

Comparison of Blood Leptin Concentration and Colonic Mucosa Leptin Expression in Colon Adenoma Patients and Healthy Control

• Oh JS
• Kim HH
• Hwang HS
• Yun DY
• Kim BS
• Lee CH
• Han J
• Kim HG
• Jung JT
• Kwon JG
• Kim EY

• KMID: 2234036
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2014.63.6.354

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Obesity increases the risk of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyp, and one of the underlying mechanisms of this increase is considered to be due to the growth promoting effects of adipokines, such as leptin. In order to investigate this finding, leptin expression in the colonic tissue and blood leptin concentration of the colonic adenoma patients were compared to those of the control group.
METHODS
Colonic adenoma tissues were obtained by polypectomy (n=60). In these patients, normal colonic mucosa at remote areas from the polyp was also obtained and blood samples were collected as well. Age and sex matched control subjects were selected among those who showed normal colonic mucosa in health screening colonoscopy (n=60).
RESULTS
There was no significant difference in serum leptin concentration between the colonic adenoma patients and control subjects. Leptin expression was noted in 43.3% of the colonic adenomas, but only in 6.7% of normal colonic mucosa from the control subjects (p<0.01). There were ten cases of concurrent adenocarcinoma in situ in adenoma patients, eight cases of which expressed leptin (p=0.01). In adenoma group, leptin expression rate was significantly high in larger adenomas and in obese patients (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant relationship between leptin expression in colonic mucosa and serum leptin level.
CONCLUSIONS
Leptin expression was more frequently observed in colonic adenomas, especially in larger adenomas associated with adenocarcinoma in situ, but blood leptin level was not related to tissue leptin expression. Leptin expression was more frequently observed in obese patients from the adenoma group. Therefore, leptin may play an important role in colonic tumorigenesis and progression, especially in obese patient.

Keyword

Adenomatous polyps; Colonic neoplasms; Leptin; Obesity

MeSH Terms

Adenoma/metabolism/*pathology
Adult
Aged
Body Mass Index
Colonic Neoplasms/metabolism/*pathology
Colonic Polyps/metabolism/pathology
Female
Humans
Intestinal Mucosa/*metabolism
Leptin/blood/*metabolism
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity/metabolism/pathology
Odds Ratio
Waist Circumference
Leptin

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Immunochemical leptin stain in colonic adenoma and normal colonic mucosa. (A) Leptin(+) in colonic adenoma (arrows) (×200). (B) Leptin(−) in normal colonic mucosa (×200).

Reference

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