Serum Leptin and Ghrelin Levels in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Correlation with Anthropometric,Metabolic, and Endocrine Parameters

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients are more prone to abnormalproduction of some regulatory peptides. In these patients, studies on the serum levels ofleptin and ghrelin are controversial. This study aims to investigate serum levels of leptinand ghrelin and their correlation with metabolic and endocrine indices in PCOS.Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 60 women; 30 withPCOS and 30 healthy women whose age and body mass index (BMI) were matched and whowere referred to Alzahra Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. Serum levels of leptin, ghrelin, insulin, luteinizinghormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone-binding globulin(SHBG), and testosterone were measured. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR) was calculated. Descriptive statistics and correlations were performed usingSPSS 12.0 for Windows.Results: In PCOS women, serum levels of leptin, insulin, HOMA-IR, testosterone, LH,and LH/FSH were significantly higher, while SHBG was lower than in healthy women.Ghrelin and FSH were similar in both groups. Serum levels of leptin correlated with BMI(r=0.85, p<0.001), waist to hip ratio (WHR) (r=0.55, p<0.01), insulin levels (r=0.85,p<0.001) and HOMA-IR (r=0.67, p<0.01), while ghrelin levels had an inverse associationwith testosterone (r=-0.32, p=0.04).Conclusion: The results showed increased leptin levels while ghrelin remained unchangedin PCOS patients. In PCOS patients, leptin positively correlated with BMI,WHR, insulin, and insulin resistance, while ghrelin was only associated with serumtestosterone levels.