Premature ejaculation and serum leptin level: a diagnostic case-control study.
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.
Nikoobakht
Mohammad Reza
MR
Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Medical Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. nikoobakht_m@hotmail.com
Tajik
Parvin
P
Karami
Ali Akbar
AA
Moradi
Kamran
K
Mortazavi
Abolghasem
A
Kosari
Farid
F
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*
D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin