LEPTIN LEVELS AND INSULIN SENSITIVITY IN OBESE AND NONOBESE PATIENTS WITH POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME

The study was conducted to assess leptin levels and insulin sensitivit y in obese and non-obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS ). Twenty-two women with PCOS and 19 control healthy women were includ ed in the study, divided into obese and non-obese groups. Leptin was d etermined using Linco Research radioimmunoassay while insulin sensitiv ity was calculated from intravenous glucose tolerance tests with frequ ent blood sampling using MINMOD analysis. Significantly higher basal l eptin levels were found in obese compared to non-obese PCOS (31.76 +/- 3.06 vs. 10.42 +/- 2.31 ng/ml; p < 0.05) as well as in obese in compa rison to non-obese controls (29.16 +/- 5.06 vs. 8.51 +/- 0.88 ng/ml; p < 0.05). A negative correlation was found between insulin sensitivity and leptin levels in both obese (r = -0.2480; p > 0.05) and non-obese PCOS groups (r = -0.4620; p > 0.05). In conclusion, high serum leptin , insulin and testosterone levels together with reduced insulin sensit ivity were found in obese PCOS women, suggesting that high leptin leve ls could be a characteristic of the obese PCOS phenotype.