Premature ejaculation and serum leptin level: a diagnostic case-control study.

INTRODUCTION

Premature ejaculation (PE) is regarded as the most common male sexual disorder. To date, there is no accurate and objective diagnostic test for PE.

AIM: To determine the diagnostic value of serum leptin level for PE.

METHODS

In a case-control design, the serum leptin level of 46 PE patients referred to our outpatient clinic were determined and compared with 44 control patients referred to the same clinic with the complaint of nephrolithiasis. PE was defined based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria and an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time of less than a minute.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum leptin level and presence of PE.

RESULTS

The PE patients had significantly higher serum leptin levels (8.3+/-3 ng/mL) than the controls (3.3+/-1 ng/mL) (P<0.001). Sensitivity and specificity for the test as a predictive diagnostic tool for PE were 80.4% and 97.7%, respectively, at the cutoff value of 6.3 ng/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our results, leptin level in patients with PE was significantly higher than in the control subjects. More studies are necessary to determine the value of serum leptin as a diagnostic tool for PE.