Short‐term effects of prednisolone and dexamethasone on circulating concentrations of leptin and sex hormone‐binding globulin in children being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Abstract

Short-term glucocorticoid treatment has significant effects on BMI, leptin and SHBG. The leptin : SHBG ratio increase indicates that this may be a novel and sensitive biochemical marker of metabolic change. Our results suggest that glucocorticoid treatment regimens should be kept as short as possible to avoid possible detrimental effects associated with increased adiposity and insulin resistance.