title: The relationship between plasma levels of leptin and androgen in healthy and preeclamptic pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To clarify the role of leptin and androgens in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, we wanted to assess role of maternal leptin in women with severe and mild preeclampsia and the effects of sex steroid hormones on leptin production.
  
  
  METHODS
  The groups consisted of 40 healthy pregnant women (HPW) as well as 55 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia (SPE) and 41 pregnant women with mild preeclampsia (MPE). No significant differences were observed between the three groups regarding age, gestational age and body mass index (BMI). Plasma leptin, total testosterone (T), estradiol (E(2)), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstenedione (A) levels were measured. Statistical analysis was achieved with one-way analysis of variance (anova) followed by post hoc multiple comparisons with the Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test by using SPSS for Windows statistical computer program, and the Pearson's coefficient of correlation was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The plasma level of leptin was significantly increased in the SPE and MPE groups (p < 0.001), whereas the plasma level of T was significantly increased only in the SPE group (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in plasma levels of DHEAS among the three groups (p < 0.05). The plasma level of A was significantly decreased in the MPE group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the plasma level of E(2) in the MPE and SPE groups (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the plasma levels of leptin and E(2) in the MPE group (r = 0.41, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that the elevated plasma levels of leptin and testosterone could contribute to the endothelial dysfunction involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, and that estradiol might lead to an increase in the plasma levels of leptin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. yatamer@dicle.edu.tr
authors.forename: Yildiz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Atamer
authors.forename: Ali Ceylan
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koçyigit
authors.forename: Aytaç
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atamer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D020738:Leptin; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D004958:Estradiol; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate