Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is of frequent occurrence in Saudi females and is often associated with obesity, insulin resistance, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and infertility. Since these features are also associated with leptin receptor (LEP-R) deficiency, several studies have attempted to link LEP-R gene polymorphisms to PCOS.
Methods: The purpose of this study is to assess the possible association of LEP-R gene polymorphism (rs1137101) with the main obesity-linked metabolic parameters in Saudi female patients affected by PCOS. A cohort of 122 Saudi female subjects, attending the outpatient's clinics at Makkah, Saudi Arabia and diagnosed with PCOS was investigated. Metabolic parameters in serum samples, including lipidogram, glucose, leptin, ghrelin and insulin and obesity markers (BMI, W/H ratio, HOMA) were assayed and compared with values from 130 healthy female volunteers (controls). The genotyping of rs1137101 polymorphism in the leptin receptor gene by amplification (PCR) followed by DNA sequencing, was conducted in both groups (PCOS and controls).
Results: Waist/hip ratio (W/H ratio), leptin serum levels and triglycerides appeared to be associated with PCOS but, aside from W/H ratio (AA s GG p = 0.009), this association also occurred for controls. No significant association in the leptin gene polymorphic locus rs1137101 with PCOS was seen in the results of the present study. In the control group, BMI, W/H ratio, leptin, Insulin, and HOMA-IR were significantly higher in the GG genotype compared to AA.
Conclusion: Despite previous suggestion about a relationship between rs1137101, serum leptin levels, and PCOS, our studies do not show any statistical association and further investigations; possibly by also evaluating obese patients should be needed to elucidate this issue better.
Keywords: Genetic polymorphism; Leptin receptor; Polycystic ovarian syndrome.