Objective: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disorder related to mood and appetite changes during the premenstrual phase. Unfortunately, the understanding of the pathophysiology of PMS is quite poor. Though, ghrelin and leptin play important roles in the control of food intake. The aim of this study was to evaluate leptin and ghrelin serum concentrations in PMS patients.
Patients and methods: Forty-five PMS patients diagnosed according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria and 45 healthy women as a control group, were included in the study. These groups were matched for age, body mass index and duration of menstrual cycle. Symptoms of the patients were evaluated using "Menstrual Distress Questionnaires". Serum leptin and ghrelin serum concentrations were measured using ELISA in the postmenstrual phase (5-9 days) and 2-3 days before menstruation. Mann-Whitney U test, independent sample t-test and Wilcoxon test were used for statistical analyses.
Results: In the PMS group, there was no difference in the serum concentrations of ghrelin; however, leptin serum concentrations were 31.05 (± 14.16) and 16.42 (± 15.81) ng/ml during the premenstrual and postmenstrual periods, respectively (p < 0.05). Ghrelin serum concentrations in the premenstrual period were 6.9 (± 9.3) ng/ml in the PMS group and 8.8 (± 9.3) ng/ml in the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.79).
Conclusions: Ghrelin serum concentrations were not associated with PMS, while leptin serum concentrations were found to be higher in the premenstrual period in PMS patients. Though, these two hormones work antagonistically to control the food intake and body weight, we suggest that this function is not relevant to PMS.