No abstract

Betatrophin is a newly identified hormone determined to be a potent inducer of pancreatic beta cell proliferation in response to insulin resistance in mice. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an inflammatory-based metabolic disease associated with insulin resistance. However, no evidence is available indicating whether betatrophin is involved in women with PCOS. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether betatrophin levels are altered in women with PCOS. This study was conducted in secondary referral center. This cross-sectional study included 164 women with PCOS and 164 age- and BMI-matched female controls. Circulating betatrophin levels were measured using ELISA. Metabolic and hormonal parameters were also determined. Circulating betatrophin levels were significantly elevated in women with PCOS compared with controls (367.09 ± 55.78 vs. 295.65 ± 48.97 pg/ml, P < 0.001). Betatrophin levels were positively correlated with insulin resistance marker homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), free-testosterone, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), atherogenic lipid profiles, and BMI in PCOS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the odds ratio for PCOS was 2.51 for patients in the highest quartile of betatrophin compared with those in the lowest quartile (95 % CI 1.31-4.81, P = 0.006). Multivariate regression analyses showed that HOMA-IR, hs-CRP, and free-testosterone were independent factors influencing serum betatrophin levels. Betatrophin levels were increased in women with PCOS and were associated with insulin resistance, hs-CRP, and free-testosterone in these patients. Elevated betatrophin levels were found to increase the odds of having PCOS. Further research is needed to elucidate the physiologic and pathologic significance of our findings.

RDW levels were higher in women with PCOS, and high-RDW levels were independently associated with PCOS. This link in between RDW and PCOS may be due to an underlying chronic inflammation in subjects with PCOS.

In this study, we aimed to compare the serum urocortin-2 (UCN2) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women. Thirty-eight patients with PCOS and 41 healthy women were included in the study whose age and BMI matched. The fasting serum glucose, insulin, free testosterone, hs-CRP and UCN2 levels of the all participants were examined. HOMA-IR formula was used in order to calculate the insulin resistance. Circulating UCN2 levels were significantly elevated in women with PCOS compared with controls (142.93 ± 59.48 versus 98.56 ± 65.01 pg/ml, p = 0.002). FBG, serum insulin, hs-CRP and HOMA-IR levels were found to be increased in women with PCOS. There was a positive correlation between UCN2 and free-testosterone in only PCOS group (r = 0.235, p = 0.027). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the odds ratio for PCOS was 2.31 for patients in the highest quartile of UCN2 compared with those in the lowest quartile (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.88-2.83, p=0.021). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that HOMA-IR, hs-CRP and free-testosterone independently predicted UCN2 levels (p < 0.05). UCN2 levels were significantly higher in PCOS cases when compared to control group. UCN2 is thought to be effective on pathophysiology of PCOS by paracrine and autocrine pathways.

93.24 ± 8.17 pg/ml, p=0.038). Pearson's correlation analysis showed that CART was significantly and negatively correlated with BMI and waist circumference in both (PCOS and control) groups. In CONTROLS only, CART was positively correlated with insulin and HOMA-IR, and negatively correlated with FBG. Logistic regression analysis results are suggestive of a possible protective effect of CART against PCOS (OR: 0.94, 95% CI=0.888-0.997, p=0.038).