Increase in serum leptin concentrations among women with endometriosis during danazol and leuprolide depot treatments

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate serum leptin concentration s in women with endometriosis during treatment with danazol and with leupro lide depot. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty patients aged 18 to 42 years with regular menses and d ocumented pelvic endometriosis were recruited from a university hospital se tting. Treatment was 200 mg danazol 3 times daily for 6 months or 3.75 mg l euprolide depot every 28 days for 6 months. Serum leptin concentrations wer e measured before, during, and after treatment. A single blood sample was t aken from each of 10 control women without endometriosis for comparison. Se rum leptin level was measured with a radioimmunoassay kit with human leptin , and analysis of variance and paired t tests were used for statistical ana lysis. RESULTS: Serum leptin levels were almost the same among women with endometr iosis as in the control group. Leptin levels were higher among women with e ndometriosis during treatment with danazol and leuprolide (P < .001). Three months after treatment, leptin values remained moderately higher than befo re treatment. CONCLUSION: Danazol and leuprolide increased serum leptin levels. The mecha nism of leptin increase is unclear. Further studies are needed to determine whether an adipogonadal axis exists.