Serum resistin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To measure serum resistin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and assess possible correlations of resistin to the hormonal and metabolic parameters of the syndrome. DESIGN: Clinical study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Ninety selected women were classified as follows: group I: 35 anovulatory women with PCOS (body mass index [BMI] >25 kg/m(2)); group II: 35 anovulatory women with PCOS (BMI <25 kg/m(2)); group III: 20 ovulating women (controls) without hyperandrogenemia (BMI <25 kg/m(2)); women of group III were volunteers. INTERVENTION(S): Blood samples were collected between the 3rd and the 6th day of the menstrual cycle of the ovulating women, and between the 3rd and the 6th day of a spontaneous bleeding of the anovulatory women, at 9 a.m., after an overnight fast. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of FSH, LH, PRL, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, androgens, insulin, resistin, and glucose. RESULT(S): Resistin levels were found to be significantly increased in group I compared with those of group II and those of group III. No significant difference in resistin levels was found between groups II and III, despite significant differences in insulin levels and the glucose-to-insulin ratio. Multiple regression analysis showed that resistin levels do not correlate with any parameter independent of BMI. CONCLUSION(S): Based on the above findings, we presume that resistin is unlikely to be a major determining factor of PCOS-associated insulin resistance and is not actively involved in the pathogenesis of the syndrome.     

Frequency of adiponectin gene polymorphisms in polycystic ovary syndrome and the association with serum adiponectin,androgen levels,insulin resistance and clinical parameters

Aim.?Although the association between adiponectin gene polymorphisms and insulin resistance has been investigated in many studies, there are only a few studies, which have investigated adiponectin gene polymorphisms in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of T45G polymorphisms localised in exon 2 of the adiponectin gene in a Turkish population with PCOS and to determine the association of T45G polymorphisms with insulin resistance and serum adiponectin levels in PCOS.

Materials and methods.?Ninety-six patients with PCOS and 93 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Insulin resistance was estimated via HOMA-IR. Serum adiponectin levels were measured by ELISA. For determination of adiponectin gene polymorphisms, PCR was performed with appropriate primers after genomic DNA was obtained from the peripheral blood of the patients and control subjects.

Results.?Adiponectin levels were low in patients with PCOS than control subjects. There was no significant statistical difference between the PCOS and control groups with respect to the frequency of polymorphisms and the genotype distribution. Adiponectin gene polymorphisms were not associated with the anthropometric parameters, hyperandrogenism and adiponectin levels in PCOS. However, the fasting insulin level and insulin resistance were significantly higher and more frequent, respectively, in the polymorphic group compared to the other genotypes among patients with PCOS.

Conclusion.?The risk of PCOS, hyperandrogenism in patients with PCOS and low serum adiponectin levels cannot be directly attributed to T45G adiponectin gene polymorphisms in exon 2, rather these polymorphisms may be associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in PCOS.     

Serum leptin levels correlate with obesity parameters but not with hyperinsulinism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To examine serum leptin concentrations in obese and lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to assess whether the changes in leptin levels are due to obesity or hormonal alterations. DESIGN: Controlled clinical study. SETTING: Academic research environment. PATIENT(S): Obese and lean women with PCOS. INTERVENTION(S): Blood samples were collected before and after food consumption. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum leptin and insulin levels. RESULT(S): Serum leptin concentrations were significantly correlated with body mass index (r = 0.649) and also with HOMA (r = 0.535). However, after controlling for body mass index in a partial correlation analysis, no significant correlation was found between serum leptin levels and HOMA or hyperinsulinemia. While lean patients with PCOS had a significant correlation between leptin concentrations and obesity parameters, they did not show any significant correlation with insulin resistance parameters. CONCLUSION(S): Although leptin concentrations in women with PCOS correlate with insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia, this is related only to obesity.     

Serum adiponectin and resistin in relation to insulin resistance and markers of hyperandrogenism in lean and obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objectives

It seems that adipokines participate in disturbances of the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between plasma adiponectin and resistin levels and insulin resistance and markers of hyperandrogenism in lean and obese PCOS women.

Study design

Forty-one women with PCOS (22 lean and 19 obese) and 16 healthy lean women were enrolled. Body mass and height were measured and body mass index was calculated. In addition to serum glucose, lipids, androgens and insulin, adiponectin and resistin concentration were assessed in the fasting state. The insulin resistance was calculated based on the HOMA-IR.

Results

Similar serum resistin concentrations were found in both PCOS subgroups and controls. The obese PCOS subgroup was characterized by the lowest serum adiponectin level (10.8 ± 8.3, compared with 21.0 ± 15.1 in the normal weight PCOS subgroup and 26.7 ± 12.5 μg/ml in controls). There were no correlations between resistin and adiponectin levels and HOMA-IR values and serum androgen concentrations. Significant positive correlations between adiponectin to resistin ratio and plasma FSH (r = 0.49; p = 0.001) and LH (r = 0.45; p = 0.003) concentrations, and a negative correlation with free androgen index (r = −0.34; p = 0.03) in PCOS group were found.

Conclusions

Obese but not normal weight PCOS women have lower adiponectin levels whereas resistin concentration did not differ in normal weight and obese PCOS compared to control subjects. We hypothesize that changes of the relative proportion of adiponectin to resistin, but not circulating adiponectin and resistin levels themselves, may play a role in hormonal disturbances but not in insulin resistance in PCOS.     

Serum Fetuin-A levels,insulin resistance and oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

This study was designed to determine serum Fetuin-A levels and establish whether serum Fetuin-A level is related with insulin resistance, oxidative stress, ovarian hyperandrogenism and dyslipidemia in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Twenty-two patients with PCOS and twenty-one healthy control women were evaluated in this controlled clinical study. Serum Fetuin-A, lipid fractions, glucose, insulin, malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and other hormone (gonadotropins, androgens) levels were measured. The estimate of insulin resistance was calculated by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-R). The women with PCOS had significantly higher serum fasting glucose, insulin, luteinizing hormone (LH), MDA, Fetuin-A levels, and LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, free androgen index (FAI), HOMA-IR than healthy women. However, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and GSH levels were significantly lower in patients with PCOS compared with controls. Fetuin-A was positively correlated with insulin, HOMA-IR and FAI. Multiple regression analysis revealed that FAI was strong predictor of serum Fetuin-A level. Serum Fetuin-A level was related with insulin resistance and ovarian hyperandrogenism in women with PCOS. These results suggest that Fetuin-A may have a role in triggering the processes leading to insulin resistance and androgen excess in PCOS.     

The contributions of resistin and adiponectin gene single nucleotide polymorphisms to the genetic risk for polycystic ovary syndrome in a Japanese population

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous group of disorders that occur fairly commonly in women of reproductive age and are characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations, including insulin resistance that is independent of obesity. Recent studies suggest that altered adipocytokine gene expression is closely associated with insulin resistance and that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) modulate the expression and/or function of these genes, thereby affecting insulin sensitivity. With that in mind, we investigated whether SNPs at position ?420 of the resistin gene (RETN) and/or ?11377 of the adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) modulate the susceptibility to PCOS. We evaluated the genotypes of 117 women with PCOS and 380 healthy fertile controls and measured the index of insulin resistance and hormonal profiles in the PCOS women. The RETN?420G/G homozygous variant genotype occurred significantly more frequently among the PCOS group than among the control group (15.4% vs. 8.4%, p = 0.035). PCOS women with the RETN?420G/G genotype also showed significantly higher BMIs and greater insulin resistance than those with RETN?420 C/C or C/G genotypes. The ADIPOQ SNP at ?11377 showed no association with PCOS. We conclude that the RETN G/G at ?420 genotype is associated with PCOS in Japanese women.     

Serum Caspase-1 levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

ObjectiveCaspase-1 is implicated in several important inflammatory diseases and controls adipocyte differentiation and insulin sensitivity. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine and plays an important role in chronic inflammatory conditions. This study was planned to determine if there is any relationship between Caspase-1 and IL-10 levels in women with PCOS.Materials and methodsForty-two women with PCOS and thirty-seven healthy controls were evaluated in this controlled clinical study. Caspase-1 and IL-10 levels, serum lipid sub-fractions, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and other hormones (gonadotropins, androgens), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) was used to estimate insulin resistance.ResultsFree androgen index (FAI), HOMA-IR, MDA and Caspase-1 levels were significantly higher in subjects with PCOS. However, the women with PCOS had considerably lower GSH concentration levels than healthy subjects. Serum IL-10 levels were higher in study subjects than in controls, though it was statistically insignificant. Caspase-1 was positively associated with IL-10.ConclusionThese outcomes propose that Caspase-1 may have a role in triggering the processes leading to chronic low-grade inflammation in women with PCOS, independent of insulin resistance, androgen excess and oxidative stress. Nevertheless, the precise role of Caspase-1 in the pathogenesis of the disease remains to be elucidated.     

Altered leptin,adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin secretion may represent an intrinsic polycystic ovary syndrome abnormality

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate whether altered adipose tissue secretion of various adipokines is secondary to obesity, hyperandrogenism, and hyperinsulinemia or intrinsic to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This cross-sectional study included 151 women diagnosed with PCOS by the Rotterdam criteria and 95 healthy women matched by age, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Clinical, biochemical, and hormonal characteristics were assessed. Serum concentrations of ghrelin and adiponectin were found to be significantly lower and concentrations of leptin and resistin significantly higher in women with PCOS than in healthy women matched by age, BMI, and WHR. A PCOS diagnosis made the largest contribution to predicting serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin in all stepwise multiple regression models, which included PCOS diagnosis, BMI, WHR, luteinizing hormone, total testosterone, free testosterone and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance as independent predictors. Leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin and resistin levels may serve as independent biomarkers for the diagnosis of PCOS.     

Different phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome in Turkish women: clinical and endocrine characteristics

Abstract

This study presents the differences in clinical, endocrine and metabolic parameters among different polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes in Turkish women. Four hundred and ten women with PCOS were evaluated, while 97 healthy women served as controls. PCOS were defined by oligo-anovulation (OA), hyperandrogenism (HA) and polycystic ovaries on ultrasound (PCO). Patients were subdivided into four phenotypes: OA?+?HA?+?PCO (phenotype 1), OA?+?HA (phenotype 2), HA?+?PCO (phenotype 3), OA?+?PCO (phenotype 4). Phenotypes 1–4 were present in 47.1%, 13.2%, 21.2% and 18.5% of patients, respectively. They were also divided into three groups according to the BMI (<25?kg/m²; 25≤ and ≤30?kg/m²; and >30?kg/m²). ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc HSD tests were used. The LH levels and LH/FSH ratio were higher in phenotype 1 and 2 than phenotype 3. The LDL-C levels were higher in women with phenotype 1 and 4 than in women with phenotype 2. Women with BMI <25?kg/m² had higher levels of LH, LH/FSH ratio, and the HDL-C than other two groups. The levels of TG, LDL, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR increased with increasing BMI in four phenotypes. Results suggest that obesity seems to be the primary cause of metabolic disturbances in PCOS women.     

Serum vaspin and C-reactive protein levels in women with polycystic ovaries and polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective.?Our aim was to evaluate C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum vaspin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or polycystic ovaries (PCO).

Design.?Twenty-four women with PCOS and 23 women with PCO constituted the study groups. The control group comprised 24 healthy women.

Methods.?Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), CRP and serum vaspin levels were measured. The receiver–operating characteristic curve (ROC) of vaspin for prediction of women with increased diabetogenic risk was constructed.

Results.?The three groups did not significantly differ in age and body mass index. HOMA-IR was significantly higher in the PCOS and PCO groups than in control group. Median CRP levels in the control, PCO and PCOS groups were 0.66, 1.28 and 3.2?mg/l, respectively (p?=?0.0001). Women with PCOS had significantly higher serum vaspin levels than the healthy controls [3.52?±?1.38 vs. 0.36?±?0.19?ng/ml, p?=?0.0001]. Serum vaspin could differentiate between women with and without increased diabetogenic risk at a cut-off value of 1.82?ng/ml with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 66.1%.

Conclusion.?The results of our study showed that the presence of the increased vaspin, CRP and higher HOMA-IR levels in women with PCOS and PCO could contribute to increased diabetogenic and atherogenic risk in these patients.     

The plasma level and gene expression of resistin in polycystic ovary syndrome

Objectives.?To investigate the relationship between plasma resistin, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and insulin resistance (IR). To compare the mRNA level of resistin in mononuclear cells and monocyte-derived macrophages in women with PCOS and controls.

Materials and methods.?Patients with PCOS and controls were enrolled and IR was considered as the stratified factor for subgroups. Fasting blood was collected to determine the levels of sex hormones, insulin, glucose, blood lipid, and resistin. Resistin gene expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR in mononuclear cells and monocyte-derived macrophages cultured with or without rosiglitazone for 96?h.

Results.?No significant difference of plasma resistin levels was found among PCOS-IR, PCOS-non-IR, control-IR, and control-non-IR groups. There were no significant differences in resistin mRNA expression between participants with and without PCOS and with and without IR. Resistin mRNA expression in monocyte-derived macrophages was higher than that in mononuclear cells (p?=?0.04), and could be reduced by rosiglitazone (p?<?0.001).

Conclusions.?Plasma resistin does not correlate with normal weight PCOS or IR. Resistin gene expression in mononuclear cells and monocyte-derived macrophages in PCOS and IR is the same as controls. Further researches on the role of resistin in the pathogenesis of PCOS or IR should concentrate on the tissue level.     

Serum ghrelin, leptin and resistin levels in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to investigate the levels of leptin, resistin and ghrelin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to assess their possible correlations with the hormonal and metabolic features of PCOS.
Methods:  Sixteen obese (ObPCOS) and 12 lean (LeanPCOS) subjects with PCOS and 19 obese control subjects were enrolled in the study.
Results:  Ghrelin, leptin and resistin concentrations were similar between groups when body mass index (BMI) was used as a covariate ( P  > 0.05). Mean androgen, SHBG, luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) ratio tended to be similar between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) groups. However, when compared with the control group, SHBG was lower and androgen, LH levels and LH/FSH ratio were higher in the PCOS groups. Free testosterone levels significantly correlated with resistin (r = −0.38), SHBG correlated significantly with body mass index (BMI) (r = −0.45) and resistin (r = −0.67), LH/FSH ratio was significantly correlated with ghrelin (r = −0.52) and estradiol (E2) levels (r = 0.51).
Conclusion:  ObPCOS and LeanPCOS groups having higher LH/FSH ratios and lower SHBG levels suggest that there could be factors other than adiposity responsible for the clinical features of PCOS patients. In the light of our results, those factors can be suggested as ghrelin and E2 for the elevated LH/FSH ratio and resistin for the lowered SHBG.     

Serum visfatin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

The aim of this study is to determine the serum levels of visfatin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to understand its correlations with other metabolic and hormonal parameters. Thirty-seven patients with PCOS and 30 women without concomitant disease were included in this study. Serum visfatin levels were similar in patients with PCOS and control group. Visfatin levels were higher in normal weight PCOS when compared with obese PCOS, but it did not reach statistical significance. Visfatin levels correlated negatively with fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and lipoprotein-a levels in PCOS patients. CRP levels increased both in obese PCOS and in obese controls. Plasma visfatin levels had no correlation with homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and fasting insulin levels, but the negative correlation between plasma visfatin levels and lipoprotein-a, fasting plasma glucose, TC and LDL levels may indicate a role for visfatin in cardiovascular disease independent of insulin resistance.     

血浆内脂素与多囊卵巢综合征的相关性

目的 探讨血浆内脂素与多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)及肥胖的关系.方法 选择2008年1～6月在徐州医学院附属医院妇产科确诊为PCOS的患者70例,将PCOS组患者根据体重指数(BMI)分为肥胖者(BMI≥25)34例和非肥胖者(BMI<25)36例;选择同期就诊的非PCOS不孕患者和健康志愿者60例为对照组(肥胖者30例,非肥胖者30例).采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测两组空腹血浆内脂素浓度,同时测定身高、体重、腰围、臀围、空腹血糖(FBS)、空腹胰岛素(FINS),计算BMI、腰臀比(WHR)、胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR).结果 PCOS组肥胖、非肥胖患者血浆内脂素[分别为(66.31±14.93)μg/L和(45.52±18.67)μg/L]明显高于对照组肥胖、非肥胖者[分别为(41.03±17.93)μg/L和(26.94±13.38)μg/L],差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);PCOS组肥胖患者血浆内脂素浓度高于非肥胖患者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).相关分析显示PCOS患者血浆内脂素浓度与BMI呈正相关(r=0.402,P<0.05),而与WHR、FBS、FINS、HOMA-IR无相关性.结论 PCOS患者存在高内脂素血症,内脂素水平与BMI呈正相关,提示内脂素可能参与PCOS与肥胖的发病机制.