Extreme obesity and leptin receptor deficiency. A case report.

Abstract

Leptin is vital for maintaining energy homeostasis, by controlling food intake and regulating energy expenditure (fatty acids). It also participates in glycemic homeostasis, thyroid activity, and reproductive and immune functions. Leptin resistance is a phenomenon that appears gradually and does not simultaneously affect all organs and tissues equally. In models of obesity induced by a high-fat diet, leptin resistance initially manifests in the hypothalamus. This type of central resistance can justify an alteration in eating patterns (hyperphagia) and a decrease in sympathetic tone, which can contribute to the increase in fat deposits in adipose tissue.