The role of leptin in innate and adaptive immune responses

doi:10.1186/ar2004

Arthritis Research & Therapy

Volume 8
Issue 5

Viewing options:

Abstract
Full text
PDF (348KB)

Associated material:

Related literature:

Articles citing this article
on Google Scholar
on ISI Web of Science
on PubMed Central
Other articles by authors
on Google Scholar

Bernotiene E
Palmer G
Gabay C

on PubMed

Bernotiene E
Palmer G
Gabay C
Related articles/pages
on Google

on Google Scholar

on PubMed

Tools:

Post to:

Review

The role of leptin in innate and adaptive immune responses

Eiva Bernotiene¹, Gaby Palmer²^,3 and Cem Gabay²^,3

¹Department of Experimental Research, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

²Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland

³Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland

author email corresponding author email

Arthritis Research & Therapy 2006, 8:217doi:10.1186/ar2004


Published:	28 July 2006

Abstract

Leptin is produced primarily by adipocytes and functions in a feedback loop regulating body weight. Leptin deficiency results in severe obesity and a variety of endocrine abnormalities in animals and humans. Several studies indicated that leptin plays an important role in immune responses. It exerts protective anti-inflammatory effects in models of acute inflammation and during activation of innate immune responses. In contrast, leptin stimulates T lymphocyte responses, thus having rather a proinflammatory role in experimental models of autoimmune diseases. Clinical studies have so far yielded inconsistent results, suggesting a rather complex role for leptin in immune-mediated inflammatory conditions in humans.