Peritoneal fluid leptin levels are increased but adiponectin levels are not changed in infertile patients with pelvic endometriosis

Abstract

Objective. Endometriosis is a leading cause of infertility, and recent studies suggest that leptin and adiponectin may have a role in its causation and progression. This study assessed levels of leptin and adiponectin in serum and peritoneal fluid (PF) in patients with endometriosis and infertility.

Design and setting. This cross-sectional study included women undergoing diagnostic and/or therapeutic laparoscopy for endometriosis with chief complaint of infertility. Following laparoscopy, patients diagnosed with endometriosis served as cases while patients with no endometriosis served as controls. Patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome, diabetes, thyroiditis and patients on prior therapy with danazol or leuprolide were excluded from the study. Leptin and adiponectin levels were analysed in blood and PF using commercially available ELISA kits.

Results. Of the 50 patients (aged 22–41 years), 15 had endometriosis (cases) while 35 had no endometriosis (controls). The median PF leptin level was significantly higher in cases as compared to controls (27.7 vs. 15.6 ng/ml, p = 0.019), and this remained significant even when PF leptin was BMI-normalised (p = 0.004). However, median serum leptin and adiponectin levels remained comparable between the two groups.

Conclusions. This study confirmed the role of PF leptin in causation and progression of endometriosis. However, this would have been definitive if healthy fertile females were included in this study.

Keywords:

• Endometriosis
• infertility
• leptin
• adiponectin
• peritoneal fluid
• serum
• body mass index

Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. R. M. Pandey, Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, for his guidance and help throughout the study with regards to statistical analyses. We are also thankful to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India (IRG No. F 6-1/2005 dated 7 February 2007 and F 6-1/2008 dated 14 October 2008) for providing financial support for this study.