Leptin to Treat Lipodystrophy

Summary

This study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of leptin replacement therapy in patients with lipodystrophy (also called lipoatrophy). Patients have a total or partial loss of fat cells. They also lack the hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells. The leptin deficiency usually causes high blood lipid (fat) levels and insulin resistance that may lead to diabetes. Patients may have hormone imbalances, fertility problems, large appetite, and liver disease due to fat accumulation. Patients age greater than or equal to 6 months with significant lipodystrophy may be eligible for this study. Participants will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for 10 days for the following studies before beginning 12 months of leptin therapy: * Insulin tolerance test * Ultrasound of the liver and, if abnormalities are found, possibly liver biopsies. * Fasting blood tests * Resting metabolic rate * Magnetic resonance imaging of the liver and other organs, and of muscle and fat. * Pelvic ultrasound in women to detect ovarian cysts. * Estimation of body fat * Oral glucose tolerance test * Intravenous glucose tolerance test * Appetite level and food intake * Hormone function tests * Questionnaires to assess activity and mood * 24-hour urine collections Additional studies may include blood tests for genetic studies of lipodystrophy, a muscle biopsy to study muscle proteins involved in regulating energy expenditure before and after leptin replacement, and examination of a surgical specimen (if available) to study molecules that may be involved in energy storage and use. When the above tests are completed, leptin therapy begins. The drug is injected under the skin twice a day for 4 months and then once a day, if feasible. The dose is increased at the 1- and 2-month visits. Follow-up visits at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 months after therapy starts include a physical examination, blood tests and a meeting with a dietitian. At the end of 12 months, all baseline studies described above are repeated. Patients record their symptoms weekly throughout the study. Those with diabetes measure their blood glucose levels daily before each meal and at bedtime.

Timeline

Start

2001-10

Primary completion

2015-02

Completion

2015-02

Publications

• Background Burant CF, Sreenan S, Hirano K, Tai TA, Lohmiller J, Lukens J, Davidson NO, Ross S, Graves RA. Troglitazone action is independent of adipose tissue. J Clin Invest. 1997 Dec 1;100(11):2900-8. doi: 10.1172/JCI119839.
• Background Moitra J, Mason MM, Olive M, Krylov D, Gavrilova O, Marcus-Samuels B, Feigenbaum L, Lee E, Aoyama T, Eckhaus M, Reitman ML, Vinson C. Life without white fat: a transgenic mouse. Genes Dev. 1998 Oct 15;12(20):3168-81. doi: 10.1101/gad.12.20.3168.
• Background Cao H, Hegele RA. Nuclear lamin A/C R482Q mutation in canadian kindreds with Dunnigan-type familial partial lipodystrophy. Hum Mol Genet. 2000 Jan 1;9(1):109-12. doi: 10.1093/hmg/9.1.109.
• Okawa MC, Tuska RM, Lightbourne M, Abel BS, Walter M, Dai Y, Cochran E, Brown RJ. Insulin Signaling Through the Insulin Receptor Increases Linear Growth Through Effects on Bone and the GH-IGF-1 Axis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023 Dec 21;109(1):e96-e106. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgad491.
• Meral R, Malandrino N, Walter M, Neidert AH, Muniyappa R, Oral EA, Brown RJ. Endogenous Leptin Concentrations Poorly Predict Metreleptin Response in Patients With Partial Lipodystrophy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Mar 24;107(4):e1739-e1751. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab760.
• Nguyen ML, Sachdev V, Burklow TR, Li W, Startzell M, Auh S, Brown RJ. Leptin Attenuates Cardiac Hypertrophy in Patients With Generalized Lipodystrophy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Oct 21;106(11):e4327-e4339. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab499.
• Sekizkardes H, Cochran E, Malandrino N, Garg A, Brown RJ. Efficacy of Metreleptin Treatment in Familial Partial Lipodystrophy Due to PPARG vs LMNA Pathogenic Variants. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Aug 1;104(8):3068-3076. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-02787.
• Brown RJ, Meehan CA, Cochran E, Rother KI, Kleiner DE, Walter M, Gorden P. Effects of Metreleptin in Pediatric Patients With Lipodystrophy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017 May 1;102(5):1511-1519. doi: 10.1210/jc.2016-3628.
• Kassai A, Muniyappa R, Levenson AE, Walter MF, Abel BS, Ring M, Taylor SI, Biddinger SB, Skarulis MC, Gorden P, Brown RJ. Effect of Leptin Administration on Circulating Apolipoprotein CIII levels in Patients With Lipodystrophy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Apr;101(4):1790-7. doi: 10.1210/jc.2015-3891. Epub 2016 Feb 22.
• Chan JL, Koda J, Heilig JS, Cochran EK, Gorden P, Oral EA, Brown RJ. Immunogenicity associated with metreleptin treatment in patients with obesity or lipodystrophy. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2016 Jul;85(1):137-49. doi: 10.1111/cen.12980. Epub 2016 Feb 2.
• Diker-Cohen T, Cochran E, Gorden P, Brown RJ. Partial and generalized lipodystrophy: comparison of baseline characteristics and response to metreleptin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 May;100(5):1802-10. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-4491. Epub 2015 Mar 3.
• Christensen JD, Lungu AO, Cochran E, Collins MT, Gafni RI, Reynolds JC, Rother KI, Gorden P, Brown RJ. Bone mineral content in patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy is unaffected by metreleptin replacement therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Aug;99(8):E1493-500. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1353. Epub 2014 Jul 29.
• Joseph J, Shamburek RD, Cochran EK, Gorden P, Brown RJ. Lipid regulation in lipodystrophy versus the obesity-associated metabolic syndrome: the dissociation of HDL-C and triglycerides. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Sep;99(9):E1676-80. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1878. Epub 2014 Jun 13.
• Kamran F, Rother KI, Cochran E, Safar Zadeh E, Gorden P, Brown RJ. Consequences of stopping and restarting leptin in an adolescent with lipodystrophy. Horm Res Paediatr. 2012;78(5-6):320-5. doi: 10.1159/000341398. Epub 2012 Sep 4.
• Chan JL, Lutz K, Cochran E, Huang W, Peters Y, Weyer C, Gorden P. Clinical effects of long-term metreleptin treatment in patients with lipodystrophy. Endocr Pract. 2011 Nov-Dec;17(6):922-32. doi: 10.4158/EP11229.OR.
• Chong AY, Lupsa BC, Cochran EK, Gorden P. Efficacy of leptin therapy in the different forms of human lipodystrophy. Diabetologia. 2010 Jan;53(1):27-35. doi: 10.1007/s00125-009-1502-9. Epub 2009 Sep 2.

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Indications