Serum leptin levels were determined in 31 women with systemic sclerosis and 24 age-matched healthy controls. Both groups were divided into premenopausal and postmenopausal subgroups. A decreased serum leptin was found in the patients with systemic sclerosis. The premenopausal patients and controls had higher serum leptin than those in the postmenopausal subgroups. Serum leptin correlated with body mass index in the patients with systemic sclerosis.