title: Serum leptin levels of menopausal women before and after hormone replacement therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure serum leptin levels of menopausal women before and after hormone replacement therapy, and to evaluate the action of hormone replacement therapy in regulating serum leptin levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum leptin levels of 27 menopausal women were measured before and after hormone replacement therapy by double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared with those measured in 35 women with regular menstrual cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with normal control (17.11+/-1.24 ng/ml), menopausal women showed significant higher mean serum leptin levels (20.75+/-2.80 ng/ml, P<0.01). After hormone replacement therapy for 6 months, serum leptin levels in these women declined to (17.46+/-1.71 ng/ml), similar to the leptin levels of normal control (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum leptin levels are significantly higher in menopausal women than in women with regular menstrual cycle, and can be down-regulated by hormone replacement therapy. It is suggested that serum leptin levels might be used as an indicator to evaluate the effect of hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, General Hospital of Guangzhou Command, Guangzhou 510010, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jin-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yan-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D020738:Leptin