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  • Brief Communication
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Metabolism

Partial leptin deficiency and human adiposity

Abstract

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin is crucial for energy homeostasis in mammals; mice1 and humans2,3 without it suffer from a voracious appetite and extreme obesity. The effect on energy balance of variations in plasma leptin above a minimal threshold is uncertain, however, particularly in humans. Here we examine a group of individuals who are genetically partially deficient in leptin, and show that differences in circulating leptin levels within the range found in normal human populations can directly influence the laying down of fat tissue (adiposity).

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Figure 1: Human heterozygotes for the ΔG133 mutation in the leptin gene have low serum leptin levels and increased body-fat percentage relative to controls.

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Correspondence to Stephen O'Rahilly.

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Farooqi, I., Keogh, J., Kamath, S. et al. Partial leptin deficiency and human adiposity. Nature 414, 34–35 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35102112

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