Leptin levels in childhood tuberculosis and its correlation with body mass index, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in an Indonesian population.

BACKGROUND: Leptin plays a key role in the regulation of energy and inflammation in tuberculosis (TB). However, its correlation in children with TB remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the correlations between body mass index, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and leptin levels in children with TB.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of children aged 2-14 years with TB. Sputum examination, chest radiography, and tuberculin skin test findings and clinical symptoms were considered for TB diagnosis. Data on body weight; height; mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC); body mass index (BMI); food intake; and IFN-γ, TNF-α, and leptin levels were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS: Of the 64 diagnosed TB subjects, 2 subjects had positive bacteriological results. The median age was 6 (2-14) years, body weight was 17.7 (9.45-55) kg, height was 114 ± 21.46 cm, and Z score BMI was -0.85 ± 1.14 kg/m2 . Malnourished was observed in 17.2% of the subjects. The median calorie intake was 1448.5 (676-4674) kcal, carbohydrate intake was 182.5 (63-558) g, protein intake was 57.9 (15.8-191.0) g, and fat intake was 81.6 (23.6-594.1) g. The median leptin level was 1.2 (0.2-59) ng/mL, IFN-γ was 2.5 (0.9-161) pg/mL, and TNF-α was 13.0 (5.7-356) pg/mL. Correlations were observed between leptin and MUAC (r = 0.251, p = 0.02), Z score (r = 0.453, p = 0.00), and IFN-γ (r = 0.295, p = 0.018).

CONCLUSION: There were positive correlations between BMI and leptin levels, whereas IFN-γ and MUAC showed weak correlations.