Plasma visfatin and apelin levels in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder that usually begins during adolescence. Patients may have severe metabolic disorders.

Objective

To investigate the levels of visfatin and apelin in adolescent girls with PCOS and to explore the importance of visfatin and apelin in glucose and lipid metabolism.

Methods

A total of 88 girls (aged 12–20 years) were prospectively and consecutively recruited during two years for the PCOS group (n = 44) and the control group (n = 44). Serum visfatin, apelin and other metabolic parameters were measured. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to reveal the diagnostic potential.

Results

Visfatin, apelin and indicators of glucose and lipid-metabolism were not different for PCOS patients compared to control. However, insulin resistance (IR) in the PCOS-group was more frequent (p < 0.05). Visfatin in non-IR patients was higher than in IR-patients in the PCOS-group (p < 0.05). However, there was no difference in apelin levels between IR and non-IR patients in the PCOS-group (p > 0.05). ROC-curve analyses demonstrated that the optimal value of visfatin for predicting IR in PCOS-patients was 7.14 ng/mL, with 78.1% sensitivity and 68.7% specificity. In the PCOS-group, visfatin was positively correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and negatively correlated with HOMA-IR, apolipoprotein B (Apo-B), cholesterol (CHO), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and CHO/HDL-C ratio (p < 0.05). Apelin had no correlation with all indices (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Higher visfatin levels may prevent IR in adolescent PCOS patients, showing a positive predictive value for IR and also reflecting a beneficial effect on lipids. It is a possible protective factor at certain stages of metabolic syndrome.

Keywords:

• Visfatin
• apelin
• insulin resistance
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• adolescents

Acknowledgment

The authors especially thank Prof. Xingming Li of Capital Medical University (Beijing, China) for his assistance in data statistical analysis.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals’ Ascent Plan (No. DFL20181401).