Serum leptin elevation in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a continuing controversy

ABSTRACT

The full pathogenesis of the polycystic ovary syndrome is not yet known. Heterogeneity is a confounding factor and several links between the diverse abnormalities seen in these cases are still missing. Obesity was one of the triad mentioned in the original description, and is an important differentiating factor between the two phenotypes of the syndrome namely obese and non-obese. Leptin is suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis of PCOS in obese subjects. In this study leptin levels were significantly different between obese and non-obese subjects, and were significantly different between insulin resistant and non-insulin resistant PCOS suggesting that body mass index and insulin resistance were the two main factors governing serum leptin levels