Purpose: to investigate leptin levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and relationships with testosterone, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and insulin levels. Methods: transversal study on 40 patients with PCOS divided into two groups: Group I (n = 20)- obese women (body mass index - BMI > or = 28 kg/m²), and Group II (n = 20) - non obese women (BMI <28 kg/m²). Results: BMI was different between the two groups (p=0.04). We observed that leptin concentrations were significantly correlated with BMI (p<0.001). After adjusting for BMI, no correlation between leptin, insulin (p=0.194), FSH (p=0.793), and total (p=0.441) and free (p=0.422) testosterone was found. However, we only observed positive correlations between leptin and estradiol (p=0.043). Conclusions: there is a strong correlation between leptin levels, BMI and estradiol levels in women with PCOS.
Leptin; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Obesity
