Serum Leptin Concentrations in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract

The role of gonadotropins, androgens, and insulin in the regulation of circulating leptin levels is obscure. In order to clarify the relationships of these parameters we studied serum leptin levels in 19 healthy control subjects and in 35 hyperandrogenic and hyperinsulinemic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Serum leptin concentrations did not differ significantly between PCOS patients and control subjects. When PCOS and control groups were analyzed together by univariate analysis, serum leptin was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI), body weight, serum insulin, serum triglyceride, and serum free testosterone concentrations. Serum leptin was inversely correlated with serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations. There were no significant correlations between serum leptin and testosterone, androstenedione, or gonadotropin concentrations. Serum insulin, triglyceride, and free testosterone concentrations were positively correlated, and serum SHBG was negatively correlated with BMI. However, when BMI on one hand and serum insulin, triglyceride, free testosterone, or SHBG on other hand were used as independent variables in the partial correlation analysis with leptin, BMI turned out to be the variable primarily responsible for all of the correlations with leptin. In conclusion, the concept that circulating leptin levels would be different in PCOS patients than in regularly menstruating control subjects is not supported by our data.

A strong association between biologically active testosterone and leptin in non-obese men and women is lost with increasing (central) adiposity

“…This is in accordance with earlier studies of A-4 vs leptin in healthy postmenopausal women, 37 and in PCO women, 42 and of dehydroepiandrostenedionesulfate vs leptin in healthy adults, 15 in PCO women, 52 and in children. 39 It is notable that measures of biologically active testosterone (FT and NST) associate with leptin in a nearly identical pattern in both men and women, supporting the view that free and albumin-bound testosterone fractions have the same biological role.…”

“…16,37 It has also been a matter of controversy whether a positive correlation between leptin and various measures of androgenicity is present among women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO). 40,42 We found a positive association between measures of biologically active testosterone (FT and NST) among women in the crude analysis, which was lost after adjustment for covariates. However, a positive association was present only in non-obese women, which may explain why previous reports have failed to establish this association after adjustment for adiposity.…”

Avaliação dos Níveis Séricos de Leptina em Mulheres Portadoras da Síndrome dos Ovários Policísticos

“…Mulheres com SOP são freqüentemente obesas, insulino-resistentes, hiperinsulinêmicas e inférteis. Embora Brzechffa et al 9 tenham encontrado concentrações de leptina mais elevadas entre as mulheres portadoras da SOP, outros estudos não confirmaram estes achados [15][16][17][18][19] . Diante disso, realizamos o presente estudo, no qual foram avaliadas mulheres portadoras da SOP, obesas e magras, a fim de se verificar uma possível participação da leptina na gênese desta síndrome, por meio da análise de suas relações com os achados endócrino-metabólicos, afastando-se o IMC como fator de confusão.…”

“…Essa correlação é a única descrita nos trabalhos bem desenhados e com casuística adequada publicados até hoje. Vários autores compararam pacientes obesas e não-obesas portadoras ou não de SOP e constataram apenas níveis maiores de leptina entre as obesas, não importando se eram portadoras ou não da síndrome [15][16][17][18][19] . O presente estudo também mostra que a SOP não desempenha influência alguma sobre os níveis de leptina.…”

C-reactive protein level and obesity as cardiovascular risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome

“…CRP ile PKOS arasında yapılan univariant regresyonda anlamlı ilişki olsa da VKİ' nin katıldığı multivariant regresyonda CRP' deki bu anlamlı ilişki kaybolmuş, ancak VKİ ile devam eder görülmüştür. Bunu destekleyen diğer çalışmalarda da PKOS ve normal sağlıklı yetişkinlerde, hs-CRP ve leptin VKİ ile pozitif korelasyon gösterilmiştir [26][27][28][29]. Bu moleküller çoğunlukla artmış visseral adipoz doku ile ilişkilidirler [30,31,32].…”