Adipocytokines and ghrelin level of bipolar patients from manic episode to euthymic episode

Purpose: Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MeS) are more frequently observed in bipolar patients than the general population. This may result from the differences of adipocytokines and ghrelin levels in bipolar disorder.

Material and methods: We evaluated the leptin, adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin levels in bipolar patients (n?=?30) in manic episode and in a control group (n?=?30). After treatment, the same patients were evaluated again during the euthymic episode. We also measured the insulin, glucose, insulin resistance (HOMA), trygliceride (TG), total cholesterol (TCHOL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) in relation to the (MeS).

Results: When controlling for age, BMI and glucose, leptin levels were higher in the bipolar disorder manic episode group (BD-ME) and bipolar euthymic episode group (BD-EE) than the control group; resistin levels were higher in the BD-ME compared to the control group and it had a positive correlation with Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). After treatment, ghrelin levels were higher in the BD-EE compared to the BD-ME group. There was no difference among the groups with respect to adiponectin.

Conclusions: The present results point that high leptin, resistin and ghrelin levels may be involved in the early pathophysiological process which can lead to later obesity and MeS in patients with bipolar disorder.