Perioperative changes in circulating leptin levels in women undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy

To investigate the effects of total abdominal hysterectomy on circulating leptin levels, 16 pre- and 8 postmenopausal patients with uterine leiomyoma or carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix were enrolled. Serum levels of leptin and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were determined before (day -7) and after surgery (day +1 and +7). Body mass index (BMI) was recorded at day -7 and +7. Anesthesia duration, surgical duration, hematology, and blood loss during surgery were recorded. Relations of these variables to serum leptin levels were investigated. Serum leptin levels rose from 7.3+/-4.7 ng/mL to 9.3+/-5.8 ng/mL at day +1 (P < 0.01), then decreased to 4.9+/-3.0 ng/mL at day +7 (P < 0.05 vs. values at day -7 and +1). FBS levels also rose from 89.4+/-7.5 mg/dL to 119.3+/-24.0 mg/dL (P < 0.01), then returned to normal at day +7 (96.2+/-9.0 mg/dL). However, there was no significant correlation observed between FBS and leptin levels at each time point (r < or = 0.22). BMI decreased from 22.7+/-3.0 kg/m2 to 21.7+/-2.9 kg/m2 at day +7 (P < 0.001). At day -7 and +7, leptin levels were positively correlatd with BMI (r = 0.79, P < 0.001 and r = 0.71, P < 0.001, respectively). Circulating leptin levels were increased on day one after total abdominal hysterectomy.