Background: Uterine leiomyomas (ULs) are common female genital tract tumors causing significant morbidity. Adipocytes produce adipocytokines that are implicated in chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis.
Objectives: To estimate serum levels of adipocytokines in women diagnosed with uterine leiomyomas and to evaluate their relation to the presence and severity of the presenting symptoms.
Patients and methods: 90 women were clinically evaluated and categorized according to transvaginal ultrasonography as study group (S) included women who had symptomatic ULs; positive control group (PC) included women with incidentally diagnosed ULs and negative control group (CN) included women free of ULs. Blood samples were obtained for ELISA estimation of the studied markers.
Results: Serum levels of leptin and TNF-α were significantly higher in S than CN (P < 0.001) and CP (< 0.001 & 0.0002, respectively) groups with significantly higher (P = 0.0014 & < 0.001, respectively) levels in CP than in CN group. Serum adiponectin levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lower in groups S and CP than in Group CN with insignificant (P = 0.212) differences between CP and S groups. There were significant correlations between the serum levels of the three cytokines and the presence and multiplicity of ULs and the presence and number of symptoms. The correlations were negative with adiponectin and positive with TNF-α and leptin.
Conclusion: Obesity and multigravidity may serve as risk factors for the development and symptomatic nature of ULs, related to serum leptin and adiponectin equilibrium disturbances and high TNF-α levels, that contribute to ULs pathogenesis.