Istanbul, Turkey: A recent study reports high serum levels of hepassocin in obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). HOMA-IR index is shown as the independent variable related to high hepassocin levels. This implies that Hepassocin can be utilized as a simple and easy way for detecting insulin resistance in obese patients with PCOS. The study appears in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
Insulin resistance is common in PCOS patients, especially those with obesity. Hepassocin is a peptide marker that increases in obesity and insulin resistance. Fatma Ketenci Gencer, University of Health Sciences Istanbul Gaziosmanpasa Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, İstanbul, Turkey, and colleagues aimed to investigate hepassocin levels in patients with PCOS in a prospective case-control study.
The study included a total of 60 PCOS patients and age-matched 30 healthy women with body mass index < 30. According to their BMI, patients with PCOS were classified as obese PCOS and non-obese PCOS. Using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, hepassocin levels were measured. Independent factors related to hepassocin levels were also determined.
Following were the study's key findings:
· Hepassocin levels of the obese-PCOS group were found significantly higher than non-obese PCOS and control group (6.95 ± 3.59, 2.69 ± 2.51, 2.66 ± 2.22, respectively).
· There was no significant difference in hepassocin levels between the control and non-obese PCOS group.
· Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was independently associated with hepassocin concentrations after adjusting for age, low-density lipoprotein C (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein C (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and C reactive protein (CRP).
To conclude, obese patients with PCOS showed high serum levels of hepassocin. HOMA-IR index was found as the independent variable associated with high hepassocin levels.
"Hepassocin can be used as a simple and easy way of detecting insulin resistance in obese patients with PCOS," the authors wrote.
Reference:
The study titled, "Do serum hepassocin levels change in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?" was published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2021.10.034