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Leptin in depressed women : Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from an epidemiologic study

journal contribution
posted on 2008-04-01, 00:00 authored by Julie PascoJulie Pasco, Felice JackaFelice Jacka, Lana WilliamsLana Williams, Margaret Rogers, G Nicholson, Mark KotowiczMark Kotowicz, Michael BerkMichael Berk
Background There is conflicting evidence regarding levels of leptin in depression. In this study we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum leptin level and depression in a community sample of women using both cross-sectional and longitudinal data.

Methods From among 510 women aged 20–78 yr, 83 were identified with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder or dysthymia, ascertained using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Research Version, Non-patient edition (SCID-I/NP). Serum leptin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Medication use and lifestyle were self-reported and body mass index (BMI) determined from measures of height and weight.

Results Using multiple linear regression, serum leptin levels were greater among women with a lifetime history of depression compared to women without any history of depression, independent of BMI. Adjusted geometric mean values of serum leptin were 16.37 (95%CI 14.70–18.23) ng/mL for depressed and 14.46 (95%CI 13.79–15.16) ng/mL for non-depressed women (P = 0.039). The hazard ratio (HR) for a de novo depressive disorder over five years increased 2.56-fold for each standard deviation increase in log-transformed serum leptin among non-smokers and this was not explained by differences in BMI, medications or other lifestyle factors (HR = 2.56, 95%CI 1.52-4.30). No association was observed for smokers.

Limitations There is potential for unrecognised confounding, recall bias and transient changes in body composition.

Conclusion Women with a lifetime history of depression have elevated levels of serum leptin, and elevated serum leptin predicts subsequent development of a depressive disorder.

History

Journal

Journal of affective disorders

Volume

107

Issue

1-3

Pagination

221 - 225

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ISSN

0165-0327

eISSN

1573-2517

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2007, Elsevier

Related work

DU:30042980

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