title: Decreased serum leptin levels in women with uterine leiomyomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the possible involvement of leptin in uterine leiomyomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum leptin levels, determined by radioimmunoassay, were compared in myomatic (n = 50) and the normal (n = 50) women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant correlation was found between serum leptin levels and body mass index in both the myomatic women (r = 0.76, p < 0.001) and the normal women (r = 0.56, p < 0.001). Serum leptin levels in the myomatic women (9.3 +/- 0.6 ng/mL) were significantly lower (p < 0.001) than those in the normal women (13.6 +/- 1.2 ng/mL). In addition, the ratios of serum leptin levels/body mass index in the myomatic women (0.38 +/- 0.02) were significantly lower than those in the normal women (0.57 +/- 0.04) (p < 0.001). A significant correlation was found between the ratios of serum leptin levels/body mass index and body mass index (r = 0.59, p < 0.001) in the normal women, but not in the myomatic women (r = 0.27, p = 0.061).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lower plasma leptin levels observed in the women with myomas were independent of body mass index, and unlike the normal women there was no significant up-regulation of leptin production in response to increased adiposity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Te-Fu
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Jinu-Huang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yueh-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hsueh-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shyng-Shiou F
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin