The influence of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog on serum leptin and body composition in women with solitary uterine myoma.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog goserelin on serum leptin and body composition in women with solitary uterine myoma.

METHODS

Fifteen women who were regularly menstruating and not obese were included. In all subjects, serum concentrations of leptin, insulin, testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol and body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio were measured before and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment with goserelin (3.6 mg every 4 weeks). Fat mass and lean body mass were measured by dual energy radiographic densitometry at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy. Data were analyzed by multiple way analysis of variance and both simple and multiple regression.

RESULTS

The treatment caused a significant regression of myoma. Body weight, fat, and lean mass were unchanged. No changes in plasma leptin (even after correction for fat mass) were noted during the treatment. Plasma estradiol decreased below castrate levels. Plasma progesterone decreased significantly, and testosterone tended to decline during the study. At baseline a highly significant positive correlation was found between serum leptin and fat mass. In a multiple regression analysis, neither the change in fat mass nor any of the hormonal parameters explained the significant portion of variance of plasma leptin during the treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacologic gonadectomy does not influence plasma leptin concentrations in women if body fat mass is unchanged.