Abstract: Objective: To explore the correlation between serum leptin concentration and insulin resistance in patients receiving hemodialysis.Methods: Forty patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis(MHD) and 40 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Serum lepting and fasting insulin(FINS) were measared by radio immuno-assay.Fasting blood sugar(FBS),body mass index(BMI) and renal function indexes were also detected.Insulin resistance was also evaluated using insulin sensitivity index(ISI) and HOMA-IR.The relation between leptin and these parameters was analyzed.Results: FBG,FINS and HOMA-IR in MHD group were significantly higher than those in control group(P<0.01),while ISI was significantly lower(P<0.01).The leptin level was higher in MHD group when BMI was corrected by covariance analysis,but the difference was not statistically significant;Serum leptin concentration in MHD group was positively correlated to BMI,FINS and HOMA-IR(P<0.01),but negatively to ISI(P<0.01).Partial correlation analysis showed that leptin concentration was not significantly correlated to HOMA-IR or ISI after BMI or FINS were controlled(P>0.05).Conclusions: Relations between leptin and insulin resistance may be mediated by body fat and insulin.