Insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, and obstructive sleep apnea in Launois-Bensaude syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

Launois-Bensaude Syndrome (LBS) is a very rare cause of obesity, characterized by a symmetrical accumulation of a very large number of lipomata in different regions of the body, excluding the face, the forearms, and the shanks. Obesity is known to be closely associated with insulin resistance, hyperleptinemia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We were interested in studying whether these conditions are also present in patients with obesity due to LBS with a similar frequency as in patients with "simple" truncal obesity.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We performed polysomnography and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies and measured serum leptin in three patients with LBS and in six patients with "simple" truncal obesity, matched for sex and body mass index (LBS group, 36.39 kg/m(2); controls, 35.82 kg/m(2)).

RESULTS

Polysomnography revealed severe OSA in one LBS patient with marked "horsecollar lipomata." In the other LBS patients, no OSA could be demonstrated. The leptin levels of the two groups were comparable (LBS group, 36.39 microg/liter; controls, 37.18 microg/liter) and the insulin responsiveness index was also comparable in the two groups (LBS group, 3.47 micromol/kg. minute; controls, 3.79 micromol/kg. minute).

DISCUSSION: Patients with LBS demonstrated similar metabolic features in terms of insulin sensitivity and hyperleptinemia as patients with "simple" truncal obesity. LBS is not strictly associated with OSA.