Although foliage increases the transpiration rate and adds stress, a small amount of leaf surface can increase the stems attempt to generate root tissue. When a stem has neither roots nor leaves, stored reserves are needed to get the process going. I suspect a bit of leaf surface would make the cutting both more vulnerable to desiccation and more likely to initiate roots.
This is assuming there are no leaves on your cuttings. If the cuttings have leaves, my comments have no merit.