الفهرس 
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Abstract
development of several chronic diseases .
The elevated prevalence of obesity is mostly due to inadequate diet and lifestyle, but it is also influenced by genetic factors. It also promises to place a large strain on the health care system.
The etiology of obesity is extremely complex being influenced by environmental, behavioral and genetic factors.
Monogenic obesity, caused by mutations in one of the genes involved in the control of hunger and satiety, is a rare cause of EOO. The most common of the single gene alterations affect the LEP gene resulting in CLD that manifests as intense hyperphagia, EOO and severe obesity associated with hormonal and metabolic alterations.
Leptin is a 16-kD protein that consists of 167 amino acids and is mainly secreted from white adipose tissue. This protein acts on the hypothalamic regions of the brain which control eating behavior and plays a critical role in the regulation of body weight by inhibiting food intake and stimulating energy expenditure.
The aim of the work was to study the relation between the serum levels of leptin hormone and the potential mutations in leptin gene in obese children to explore the mechanism of obesity in these patients. This study included eighty obese children that were classified into 3 groups:
Leptin deficient group: this group included 10 cases with leptin level ˂1 ng/dl.