A meta-analysis of reference values of leptin concentration in healthy postmenopausal women

There are numerous reports about the leptin concentration (LC) in postmenopausal women (PW). Changes in LC can elicit different clinical outcomes. We systematically analyzed the LC in PW.

A search was conducted in original English-language studies published from 1994 to October 2012 in the following databases: Medline (78), Cochrane Center (123) Embase (505), Biological abstracts (108), Cochrane (53) and Science Finder Scholar (0). A meta-analysis was undertaken on the correction coefficient (r) between the serum LC and body mass index (BMI) for healthy PW across studies containing a dataset and sample size. Pre-analytical and analytical variations were examined. Pre-analytical variables included fasting status (FS) and sampling timing. Analytical variation comprised assay methodology, LC in those undertaking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and those not having HRT as well as LC change according to age.

Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen studies detected LC in the morning in a FS, 15 studies denoted the r between leptin and the BMI. A combined r was counted for the 15 studies (r = 0.51 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.46-0.54], P = 0.025), and if sampling collection was in the FSat morning, a combined r was form 10 studies (r = 0.54 [95% CI, 0.45-0.54], P = 0.299) and heterogeneity was diminished. LC did not change between HRT users and non-users in 7 studies. Five studies analyzed changes in LC according to age.

Based on all studies that investigated both LC and BMI, LC was positively correlated with the BMI. No studies established reference ranges according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) in healthy PW, and there was a wide variation in LC values. These differences suggest that caution should be used in the interpretation and comparison between studies.