Effect of IGF-I and TNF-α on intensification of steroid pathways in women with PCOS phenotypes are not identical. Enhancement of progesterone pathway in women with PCOS increases the concentration of TNF-α

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the correlations between the concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in each woman with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes based on the levels of androgen.

Methods: Two groups of women with PCOS differing in their levels of androgens. The test group composed of 39 women with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria in their reproductive age. The hormonal levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin (PRL), androstenedione, testosterone (T), estradiol (E₂) and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured. Correlations analysis were performed calculating Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of hormones with relation to TNF-α and IGF-I.

Results: There was a medium positive correlation of IGF-1 with LH levels (p < 0.05) and negative medium correlation of TNF-α with of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-SO₄ levels (p < 0.05) only in group of PCOS women with elevated androgens.

Conclusion: Analysis of TNF-α showed that women with high testosterone negative correlation between level of TNF-α and the concentration of DHEA-SO4. Inflammatory state involving TNF-α in women with PCOS and high concentration of androgens is caused by intensified Δ4 (progesterone) pathway and omitted or limited Δ5 (dehydroepiandrosterone) pathway of testosterone biosynthesis.

Chinese abstract

目的：本研究的目的是确定基于雄激素水平的每个多囊卵巢综合征表型女性的肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-a)和胰岛素样生长因子1(IGF-I)浓度间的相关性。

方法：依据雄激素水平将患PCOS的女性分为两组, 实验组由39名育龄期PCOS女性 (依据鹿特丹标准) 组成。检测促黄体生成素 (LH) , 卵泡刺激素 (FSH) , 促甲状腺激素 (TSH) , 泌乳素 (PRL) , 雄烯二酮, 睾酮 (T) , 雌二醇 (E2) 和性激素结合球蛋白 (SHBG) 的激素水平。计算与TNF-a和IGF-I相关的激素 Spearman秩相关系数, 进行相关性分析。

结果：只有在雄激素升高的PCOS女性组, IGF-I水平和LH水平呈中度正相关 (p < 0.05), TNF-a水平和脱氢表雄酮 (DHEA)-SO4水平呈中度负相关 (p < 0.05)。

结论：对TNF-a的分析表明, 睾酮水平高的女性的TNF-a水平和(DHEA)-SO4的浓度呈负相关。 PCOS女性包括TNF-a的炎症状态和高雄激素浓度是由强化D4 (孕激素) 通路和遗漏/限制睾酮合成的D5 (脱氢表雄酮) 通路引起的。

Keywords:

• Androgens
• IGF-1
• ovary
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• TNF-α

Declaration of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest.