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Leptin pp 203–214Cite as

Leptin Therapy in People with Congenital Leptin Deficiency

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Abstract

Leptin is an adipokine synthesized mainly by the white adipose tissue, with a key role in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. In humans, leptin deficiency is observed in cases of lipodystrophy, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, and congenital leptin deficiency (CLD) due to mutations in the leptin gene. To date, 34 cases of CLD have been described in the literature, with eight different mutations in the leptin gene been identified so far. For these patients, leptin replacement therapy with metreleptin (a recombinant leptin analog) is the only available therapy, which has been offered to most of these patients. The analysis of the effects of leptin replacement therapy in patients with CLD has shown that leptin has diverse effects, not only by leading to substantial weight loss due to decreases in food intake, but also to endocrine, metabolic, immune, and both structural and functional changes in the brain. A better understanding of the physiological roles of leptin may lead to the development of leptin-based therapies for more prevalent disorders such as fatty liver disease and neurocognitive diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Garran Rd, Building 131, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Gilberto Paz-Filho M.D.

  2. Mind and Brain Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Julio Licinio M.D.

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Julio Licinio M.D.

Authors
  1. Gilberto Paz-Filho M.D.
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  2. Julio Licinio M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gilberto Paz-Filho M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

    Sam Dagogo-Jack, MD

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Paz-Filho, G., Licinio, J. (2015). Leptin Therapy in People with Congenital Leptin Deficiency. In: Dagogo-Jack, MD, S. (eds) Leptin. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09915-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09915-6_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09914-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09915-6

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