Increased plasma visfatin concentrations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Chan, Te-Fu; Chen, Yi-Ling; Chen, Hung-Hseng; Lee, Chien-Hung; Jong, Shiang-Bin; Tsai, Eing-Mei

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.11.120

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Volume 88, Issue 2 , Pages 401-405, August 2007

Increased plasma visfatin concentrations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Te-Fu Chan, M.D.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Yi-Ling Chen, B.Sc.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Hung-Hseng Chen, M.D.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Chien-Hung Lee, Ph.D.
- Graduate Institute of Public Health, School of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Shiang-Bin Jong, Ph.D.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Eing-Mei Tsai, M.D., Ph.D.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Reprint requests: Eing-Mei Tsai, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 17 Floor, No. 37, Mingjhe Road, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan (FAX: 886-7-3110947).

Received 25 May 2006; received in revised form 15 November 2006; accepted 27 November 2006. published online 01 March 2007.

Objective

To test the hypothesis that plasma visfatin concentrations will be higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) than in women without PCOS.

Design

Clinical study.

Setting

University hospital.

Patient(s)

A total of 52 women were evaluated. Twenty-six had PCOS, and the remaining 26 were healthy women with regular menstrual cycles who served as control subjects.

Intervention(s)

Plasma visfatin concentrations were analyzed with the use of RIA.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Serum concentrations of FSH, LH, TSH, PRL, T, insulin, E₂, and visfatin.

Result(s)

Plasma visfatin concentrations were significantly higher in the PCOS group (336.8 ± 50.2 ng/mL) than in the healthy control group (282.4 ± 43.3 ng/mL). Logistic regression analysis indicated a significant association between odds ratio (OR) values of PCOS and visfatin levels (OR = 2.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.74–2.90), T (OR = 3.39; 95% CI, 2.85–4.16), and LH levels (OR = 3.49; 95% CI, 2.79–4.56). There was no correlation between plasma visfatin concentrations and T, insulin, and LH levels or age in either the PCOS group or the control group. We observed that plasma visfatin levels were positively correlated with body mass index in the PCOS group (r = 0.396, r² = 0.157) but not in the control group (r = −0.328, r² = 0.108).

Conclusion(s)

Our data show that women with PCOS exhibit higher plasma visfatin levels than control subjects of similar body mass index. Further studies are required to clarify the etiology and effects of hypervisfatinemia in women with PCOS.

Key Words: Visfatin, polycystic ovary syndrome, body mass index