Research Article Details

Article ID: A16543
PMID: 28324110
Source: J Clin Endocrinol Metab
Title: Effects of Metreleptin in Pediatric Patients With Lipodystrophy.
Abstract: Context: Lipodystrophy syndromes are rare disorders of deficient adipose tissue. Metreleptin, a human analog of leptin, improved metabolic abnormalities in mixed cohorts of children and adults with lipodystrophy and low leptin. Objective: Determine effects of metreleptin on diabetes, hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), growth, and puberty in pediatric patients with lipodystrophy and low leptin. Design: Prospective, single-arm, open-label studies with continuous enrollment since 2000. Setting: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Patients: Fifty-three patients aged 6 months to <18 years with lipodystrophy, leptin level <8 ng/mL (male patients) or <12 ng/mL (female patients), and &#8805;1 metabolic abnormality (diabetes, insulin resistance, or hypertriglyceridemia). Intervention: Subcutaneous metreleptin injections (0.04 to 0.19 mg/kg/d). Main Outcome Measures: Change in A1c, lipid, and transaminase levels after a mean &#177; standard deviation (SD) of 12 &#177; 0.2 months and 61 &#177; 39 months. Changes in liver histology, growth, and pubertal development throughout treatment. Results: After 12 months, the A1c level (mean &#177; SD) decreased from 8.3% &#177; 2.4% to 6.5% &#177; 1.8%, and median triglyceride level decreased from 374 mg/dL [geometric mean (25th,75th percentile), 190, 1065] to 189 mg/dL (112, 334; P < 0.0001), despite decreased glucose- and lipid-lowering medications. The median [geometric mean (25th,75th percentile)] alanine aminotransferase level decreased from 73 U/L (45, 126) to 41 U/L (25, 59; P = 0.001), and that of aspartate aminotransferase decreased from 51 U/L (29, 90) to 26 U/L (18, 42; P = 0.0002). These improvements were maintained over long-term treatment. In 17 patients who underwent paired biopsies, the NAFLD activity score (mean &#177; SD) decreased from 4.5 &#177; 2.0 to 3.4 &#177; 2.0 after 3.3 &#177; 3.2 years of metreleptin therapy (P = 0.03). There were no clinically significant changes in growth or puberty. Conclusion: Metreleptin lowered A1c and triglyceride levels, and improved biomarkers of NAFLD in pediatric patients with lipodystrophy. These improvements are likely to reduce the lifetime burden of disease.
DOI: 10.1210/jc.2016-3628