Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Twins; Role of Leptin.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy with symptoms such as obesity, insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia. PCOS could be the result of a genetic disorder. Alteration in the serum level of leptin, as a product of obesity can also be the result of genetic discrepancy. The objective of this study was to find the association between leptin concentration and PCOS, and to ascertain the genetic property of leptin. One hundred and fifty four female-female twins including 48 pairs of Monozygotic (MZ) and 29 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins, aged 15-45, Tehran residents were studied. Clinical, ultrasound and biochemical findings were used to diagnose PCOS. The incidence of PCOS using biochemical and clinical features was 16.2%. The serum level of leptin was similar between subjects with or without PCOS irrespective of their zygosity. Correlation coefficient between serum leptin levels of MZ twins were more than that of the DZ. It was concluded that Leptin is likely to be genetically determined. Although the effect of environmental factors cannot be denied. This study did not find any association between the diagnosis of PCOS and leptin level. However, the link between the two may lay with other entities such as eating disorders and/or obesity.