Leptin, C-reactive protein, and nitric oxide production in healthy humans.

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Dr Shamsuzzaman and colleagues1 dealing with the possible relationship between plasma leptin and C-reactive protein (CRP) in healthy humans. The results of their study demonstrated that hyperleptinemia is associated with increased CRP independently of age, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, smoking, and alcohol consumption in both men and women. The authors also indicated that, when only subjects with BMI <25 kg/m2 were considered, a significant correlation between plasma leptin and CRP was still evident. The authors proposed that both leptin and CRP might be involved in inflammatory and cardiovascular disease processes in normal humans. Evidence indicates that leptin has an important role in the regulation of …