Elevated serum chemerin in Chinese women with hyperandrogenic PCOS

Abstract

Objectives: To compare serum chemerin levels between women with classic hyperandrogenic PCOS, euandrogenic PCOS and matched control subjects.

Research design and methods: This study was carried out at the Second XiangYa Hospital between July 2012 and April 2013. Sixty-seven women with PCOS and 20 controls were included. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR), fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose and blood serum hormone and blood lipid were measured. Transvaginal ultrasound was performed. Serum chemerin was measured by ELISA.

Results: Serum chemerin was significantly higher in classic hyperandrogenic PCOS compared with euandrogenic PCOS and controls (311.07 ± 141.87 ng/mL versus 228.03 ± 119.66 ng/mL and 225.87 ± 86.44 ng/mL, p < 0.05). Serum chemerin was positively related to follicle count, ovarian volume, the level of testosterone, luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, fasting blood insulin, insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment, WHR and BMI, while negatively related to the level of high-density lipoprotein. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed ovarian volumes and WHR were the significant influencing factors of chemerin (p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for chemerin reached a value of 0.684 (0.572–0.796, 95% confidence interval). The best compromise between sensitivity (80.0%) and specificity (47.6%) was obtained with a cutoff value of 200.94 ng/mL.

Conclusions: Serum chemerin level was increased in Chinese women with classic hyperandrogenic PCOS. Serum chemerin measurement offers a relatively moderate diagnostic potency with a sensitivity of 80.0% and a specificity of 47.6% at 200.94 ng/mL. This suggested that chemerin may be involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome of classic PCOS.

Chinese abstract

目的：传统高雄激素型PCOS女性、非高雄激素型PCOS女性和健康对照组女性血清趋化素水平的比较

研究设计及方法：本研究从2012年7月至2013年4月在湘雅第二医院开展，研究对象为67名PCOS女性和20名健康对照女性，测量血压、体重指数、腰臀比、空腹胰岛素、空腹血糖、血激素水平、血脂，行经阴道超声检查。通过ELISA法检测血清趋化素水平。

结果：传统高雄激素型女性血清趋化素水平比非高雄激素型PCOS女性和对照组女性显著升高（311.07 ± 141.87 ng/mL vs 228.03 ± 119.66 ng/mL 和 225.87 ± 86.44 ng/mL, p＜0.05）。血清趋化素水平与卵泡数量、卵巢体积、雄激素水平、黄体生成素/卵泡刺激素比值（LH/FSH）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL-C）、甘油三酯（TG）、空腹胰岛素水平、胰岛素抵抗指数、腰臀比（WHR）、体重指数（BMI）成正相关关系，与高密度脂蛋白（HDL-C）成负相关关系。多元线性回归分析显示卵巢体积和腰臀比对血清趋化素的影响最大（p＜0.05），趋化素的ROC曲线下面积达0.684 (95% CI, 0.572–0.796)， 截断值为200.94 ng/mL时灵敏度（80%）和特异度（46.7%）达到最佳平衡。

结论：传统的高雄激素型中国PCOS女性血清趋化素水平升高，血清趋化素的测定提供了一个相对温和的诊断效能，当值为200.94 ng/mL时灵敏度达80.0%，特异度达47.6%。这提示趋化素可能参与传统的PCOS女性代谢综合征的发展。

• Chemerin
• Chinese woman
• hyperandrogenism
• metabolic syndrome
• polycystic ovary syndrome