Peritoneal fluid leptin concentration in infertile patients

Leptin may play a role in the regulation of menstrual cycle acting either directly on ovaries or at the level of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Peritoneal fluid is a biologically active environment that influences ovarian function but, on the other hand, concentration of many substances in peritoneal fluid can reflect the functional status of ovaries. In our study, we estimated leptin concentration in peritoneal fluid in relation to serum leptin concentration in infertile patients. A study group consisted of 31 infertile patients that underwent laparoscopy. In 15 patients, laparoscopy did not solve the problem and they were grouped as unexplained infertility, in eight patients we found endometriosis and eight patients were diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We found significantly higher peritoneal fluid leptin concentrations in patients with unexplained infertility and endometriosis compared to those with PCOS. The plasma leptin concentration did not differ between the groups studied. There was no correlation between peritoneal fluid and plasma leptin concentrations in any patient group. Taking into account our results, the role of leptin in reproduction should be emphasized but further investigation is needed to determine its mechanism of action. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.