Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.
Leptin concentration during different stages of pregnancy
Objectives: To determine the levels of leptin in pregnant females during different stages of pregnancy and to correlate these levels to maternal weight, body mass index (BMI), neonate weight and neonate BMI. Material & Methods: A case control study was carried out in which 60 pregnant females were enrolled, but only 36 completed the study and 30 non-pregnant females were used as controls. Blood samples were collected at the 1st trimester, 2nd trimester and 3rd trimester, and after delivery. Serum was used for the estimation of leptin (by radioimmunoassay). Results: The results showed that the levels of leptin were significantly higher in pregnant females compared to non-pregnant females, but significantly decreased after delivery. In pregnant females with gestational diabetes the leptin level was insignificantly higher. Conclusion: The increase of leptin levels may be due to the stimulatory effect of insulin on leptin secretion from adipose tissue.