Leptin and its association with polycystic ovary syndrome: a twin study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy with symptoms such as obesity, insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia. PCOS might be the result of a genetic disorder. Genetic discrepancy in the production of leptin, a product of the obesity gene, may lead to various endocrinopathies su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gynecological endocrinology 2004-06, Vol.18 (6), p.327-334
Main Authors: Jahanfar, S, Maleki, H, Mosavi, A-R, Jahanfar, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Diseases in Twins - epidemiology
Diseases in Twins - genetics
Female
Humans
Incidence
Iran - epidemiology
LEPTIN
Leptin - blood
Middle Aged
POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - blood
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - epidemiology
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - genetics
TWIN STUDY
Twins, Dizygotic
Twins, Monozygotic
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Summary:Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy with symptoms such as obesity, insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia. PCOS might be the result of a genetic disorder. Genetic discrepancy in the production of leptin, a product of the obesity gene, may lead to various endocrinopathies such as PCOS. The objective of this study was first, to ascertain the incidence of PCOS, using the gold standard; second, to ascertain the genetic property of leptin; and third, to evaluate the association between leptin concentration and PCOS. A total of 154 Tehran-resident female-female twins were studied. They included 48 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and 29 pairs of dyzygotic (DZ) twins, aged 15-45 years. Clinical, ultrasound and biochemical findings were used to diagnose PCOS. The incidence of PCOS using biochemical and clinical features was 16.2%. The correlation coefficient between serum leptin levels of MZ twins was higher than that of the DZ twins. The serum level of leptin was similar between subjects with or without PCOS, irrespective of their zygosity. It was concluded that the incidence of PCOS is high among twins, and that leptin is likely to be genetically determined, although the effect of environmental factors cannot be denied. This study did not find any association between the diagnosis of PCOS and leptin level. However, the link between the two may lie with other entities such as eating disorders and/or obesity.
ISSN:0951-3590
1473-0766
DOI:10.1080/09513590410001667256