Serum visfatin, vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate serum concentrations of visfatin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to investigate their possible role as early endothelial markers in PCOS.

Methods: Forty-two women with PCOS and 42 controls, matched for age and weight, were included in the study. Serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, total testosterone (tT), Δ₄-androstenedione (Δ₄A), dehydroepinadrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), 17-OH-progesterone, sex hormone-binding protein (SHBG), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT₄), visfatin, VEGF and MMP-9 were measured in all women; free androgen index (FAI) was calculated as well. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to examine if visfatin, tT or FAI can predict the clinical status (PCOS or control).

Results: LH, Δ₄A, tT and FAI concentrations were higher in PCOS than in controls (p = 0.002, 0.029, 0.0005 and 0.014, respectively). Visfatin, VEGF and MMP-9 concentrations were higher in women with PCOS than controls (p = 0.019, 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). In ROC analysis, area under the curve (AUC) in the prediction of clinical status was 0.641 for visfatin (p = 0.026), 0.731 for tT (p = 0.001) and 0.666 for FAI (p = 0.010), with no difference among them (p = 0.117).

Conclusions: Visfatin may induce the expression of pro-angiogenic factors, such as VEGF and MMP-9, in women with PCOS, inplying gradually development of endothelial dysfunction. Further studies are required to clarify these findings.

Chinese abstract

目的：评估多囊卵巢综合征女性的血清内脂素、血管内皮生长因子、基质金属蛋白酶-9浓度, 探究它们作为早诊断多囊卵巢综合征上皮性标记物的价值。

方法：纳入42例多囊卵巢综合征女性及42例对照, 年龄及体重已匹配。检测血清促卵泡生成素（FSH）, 黄体生成素（LH）, 泌乳素, 总睾酮（tT）, △₄-雄烯二酮（△₄A）, 脱氢表雄酮（DHEA-S）, 17-羟-孕酮, 性激素结合球蛋白（SHBG）, 促甲状腺素（TSH）, 游离甲状腺素（fT4）, 内脂素, VEGF, MMP-9以及游离雄激素指数（FAI）。如果内脂素、总睾酮或游离雄激素指数可以预测临床状态就进行PCOS组或对照组的受试者操纵特征分析 (ROC)。

结果：PCOS组 LH, △₄A, tT 和 FAI 浓度高于对照组（p = 0.002, 0.029, 0.0005 和 0.014）。 PCOS组内脂素, VEGF 和 MMP-9浓度高于对照组（p = 0.019, 0.001 和 0.002）。分析中, 预测临床状态的曲线下面积（AUC）内脂素为0.641（p = 0.026）, 总睾酮为0.731（p = 0.001）, FAI 为 0.666（p = 0.010）, 三者之间无差异（p = 0.117）。

结论：在PCOS女性中内脂素可以引发促血管生成因子的表达, 比如 VEGF 和MMP-9, 逐渐引起血管内皮功能紊乱。还需要进一步的研究证实这些发现。

Keywords:

• Endothelial dysfuction
• MMP-9
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• VEGF
• visfatin

Declaration of interest

All authors declare no support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.