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Serum leptin levels in Ache Amerindian females with normal adiposity are not significantly different from American anorexia nervosa patients
Author(s) -
Bribiescas Richard G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.20108
Subject(s) - leptin , endocrinology , medicine , anorectic , hormone , anorexia nervosa , population , aché , obesity , biology , body weight , acetylcholinesterase , enzyme , eating disorders , environmental health , psychiatry , biochemistry
Serum leptin, a polypeptide hormone secreted primarily by adipocytes, is a reflection of somatic fat availability in humans and other vertebrates. Among Ache Amerindians, leptin levels are very low in contrast to other populations, despite comparable adiposity with individuals exhibiting much higher leptin levels. In order to gain a greater understanding of these differences, leptin levels were compared between Ache Amerindian females ( n = 12, mean age = 32.2 ± 14.0 SD), American females diagnosed with anorexia nervosa ( n = 22, mean age = 23.0 ± 4.0), and non‐anorectic American controls ( n = 23, mean age = 23.0 ± 4.0). Ache leptin (5.6 ± 3.2 ng/ml) was not significantly different from anorectic patients (5.6 ± 3.7 ng/ml; P > 0.98) despite greater adiposity (Ache 33.3% ± 4.4% vs. anorectic 7.0% ± 2.0%; P < 0.0001). Ache adiposity was also higher than American controls (leptin 19.1 ± 8.1 ng/ml; fat 28% ± 5.0%; P < 0.004) underscoring the uniqueness of Ache leptin profiles. This suggests a greater range of population variation in leptin physiology than previously suspected and intimates the potential role of chronic environmental conditions. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 17:207–210, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.