Abstract

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived hormone/cytokine that links nutritional status with neuroendocrine and immune functions. As a hormone, leptin regulates food intake and basal metabolism, and is sexually dimorphic — that is, its serum concentration is higher in females than in males with a similar body fat mass. As a cytokine, leptin can affect thymic homeostasis and the secretion of acute-phase reactants such as interleukin-1 and tumour-necrosis factor. Similar to other pro-inflammatory cytokines, leptin promotes T helper 1 (T_H1)-cell differentiation and can modulate the onset and progression of autoimmune responses in several animal models of disease. Here, we review the advances and controversy for a role of leptin in the pathophysiology of immune responses.

Author affiliations

1. Autoimmunity and Tolerance Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 1000 Veteran Avenue 32-59, Los Angeles, California 90095-1670, USA.
   Email: alacava@mednet.ucla.edu
2. Gruppo di Immuno Endocrinologia, Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IEOS-CNR) c/o Cattedra di Immunologia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Napoli 'Federico II', via S. Pansini, 5-80131, Napoli, Italy.
   Email: gmatarese@napoli.com

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