Serum leptin levels in psoriatic patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is higher in patients with psoriasis than in the normal population. Serum leptin levels are higher in patients with psoriasis and in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver. The purpose of this study was to determine the serum levels of leptin in psoriatic patients with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver.
This cross-sectional study was conducted at Razi Dermatology Hospital, Tehran, Iran in 2013. A total of 50 patients with psoriasis were enrolled in the study. Fatty liver grade was assessed via ultrasonography and serum leptin levels were measured using the ELISA method.
Ten patients had normal livers and 40 had fatty livers with different grades. The median serum leptin level was significantly higher in psoriatic patients with fatty liver (11.75 ng/mL) in comparison to those without fatty liver (2.80 ng/ml). Moreover, there was a direct correlation between the leptin level and the grade of fatty liver.
serum leptin can be elevated in the course of psoriasis and may have a role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other metabolic co morbidities in psoriatic patients.