ABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the pattern of circulating soluble receptor of leptin (sLeptinR) during the menstrual cycle and the association of sLeptinR to leptin, sex hormones and gonadotropins. METHODS: Fasting blood samples were collected on alternate days throughout a full cycle from fifteen healthy volunteers. Immunoenzymatic assays were employed to record the relevant levels. RESULTS: sLeptinR concentrations throughout the cycle were found to vary negligibly. No significant correlations between sLeptinR and leptin, gonadotropins or progesterone, were established. During the follicular phase, subjects presenting with higher estradiol levels tended to have higher sLeptinR concentrations. CONCLUSION: The little variation of sLeptinR concentrations during the menstrual cycle indicates that the rise of leptin during the luteal phase implies an increase of its bioactivity.
