title: Premature ejaculation and serum leptin level: a diagnostic case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Premature ejaculation (PE) is regarded as the most common male sexual disorder. To date, there is no accurate and objective diagnostic test for PE.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the diagnostic value of serum leptin level for PE.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a case-control design, the serum leptin level of 46 PE patients referred to our outpatient clinic were determined and compared with 44 control patients referred to the same clinic with the complaint of nephrolithiasis. PE was defined based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria and an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time of less than a minute.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum leptin level and presence of PE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PE patients had significantly higher serum leptin levels (8.3+/-3 ng/mL) than the controls (3.3+/-1 ng/mL) (P<0.001). Sensitivity and specificity for the test as a predictive diagnostic tool for PE were 80.4% and 97.7%, respectively, at the cutoff value of 6.3 ng/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our results, leptin level in patients with PE was significantly higher than in the control subjects. More studies are necessary to determine the value of serum leptin as a diagnostic tool for PE.
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Medical Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. nikoobakht_m@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nikoobakht
authors.forename: Parvin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tajik
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moradi
authors.forename: Abolghasem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mortazavi
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kosari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin