Gender differences of serum leptin hormone levels in Iraqi population

Abstract EN

To evaluate and compare serum Leptin hormone level between Iraqi male and female and the relation between this hormone and BMI in these two groups.

A total of 44 normal male and female subjects were included in this study {Group 1 : 22 female } , { Group 2 : 22 male}.

Serum Leptin hormone, BMI and fasting blood glucose were measured for both groups.

Serum Leptin level in group 1 was (8.82 + 2.9 μg / L) where as in group 2 it was (4.65 + 3.2 μg / L).

These changes were statistically significant.

Fasting blood glucose levels were technically within the normal value (116.43 + 3.4mg / dl) for group 1 and (118.52 + 2.9 mg / dl) for group 2 .

BMI levels were comparable in both groups during the study, with slight elevation in group 1 [ 24 + 1.73 kg /m2 for group 1 and 23 + 1.98 kg /m2for group 2 ] which within the acceptable limit as far as safety concern.

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone known to play an important role in body-weight regulation, the result of this study shows that Leptin is presented differentially in Iraqi men and women ; in which it is significantly higher in women than in men serum.

These observations are potentially important for the understanding of differences between men and women in regulation of food intake, weight gain, and body fat distribution.

The relation between Leptin and the BMI in male and female in this study may open another approach for this hormone to be involved in–fertility & in pubertal development.