The relationship between leptin and some steroid hormones in the sera of pre-eclamptic Iraqi women

Abstract EN

Background : pre-eclampasia (PE) is a disease characterized by elevation of blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 th week of gestation.

It is a common and major complication in pregnancy causing significant morbidity and mortality.

The etiology of PE is still poorly understood, and several theories have been put forward.

Aim of the study : to find out the relationship between serum leptin level and some steroids hormone in mild and severe cases of PE.

Patients and Methods : Eighty three pregnant women with PE (All of them in third trimester of pregnancy) were enrolled in this study.

They were subdivided into three groups i.e.

G1 (comprising 28 women) with mild PE, G2 (comprising 25 women) with severe PE.

The third group (G3) (comprising 30 women) was taken as control group.

Serum leptin, free testosterone (fT), estradiol (E2) were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results : serum levels of leptin were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in mild and severe group compared with control group in the third trimester, Also free testosterone and estradiol were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in mild and severe groups compared to their control group.

A significant positive correlation (p < 0.01) between leptin and estradiol in preeclamptic patients in mild and severe cases.

Conclusion: estradiol plays a major part in the induction of leptin synthesis in preeclampsia.