Abstract
Leptin was originally identified as an adipocyte-derived cytokine with a key role in the regulation of the energy balance. Subsequent research has, however, revealed that leptins biological action is not restricted to its effects on appetite and food intake, but rather has a much more pleiotropic character. Evidence is now accumulating that it has important functions in reproduction, hematopoiesis, HPA-axis endocrinology and angiogenesis. In this review, we have focused on the effects of leptin in the immune system, which can be found in both the antigen-specific immunity and in the inflammatory effector system.
Keywords: Leptin, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS), Immune Response, STARVATION, CELL IMMUNITY