The Expressions Of Apelin And Interleukin-18 In Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting reproductive-age women. PCOS is characterized by hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, and ultrasonographic evidence of polycystic ovaries. In addition to reproductive manifestations, women with PCOS have a high risk of metabolic abnorma-lities including glucose metabolic disorders, lipid metabolism disorders and cardiovascular diseases. The underlying mechanism of metabolic disorders in PCOS has not been completely understood yet. Previous studies showed that central obesity may be an important factor to increase the risk of metabolic abnormalities in PCOS. Insulin resistance and and inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of PCOS. Apelin, which is one of the new described adipokines, plays a key role in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and it is associated with insulin resistance. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine that induces the production of TNF-a, which is considered a strong risk marker of cardiovascular death. We studied the serum levels of apelin and IL-18 in PCOS patients, as well as it’s correlation with IR to investigate the possible roles of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of PCOS.Objective Compare the differences of serum apelin, IL-18 level in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and control group, and analysis their possible correlation with insulin resistance (IR), To investigate roles and mechanisms of apelin and IL-18 in pathogenesis of PCOS.Methods From October to December 2013, Forty-eight patients with PCOS from Reproductive Medical Center (RMC) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and 32 infertility control group with normal menstruation, were divided into obese group (BMI≥25 kg/m2) and non obesity group ((BMI< 25 kg/m2) according BMI. Determination of serum fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), the level of sex hormone, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for the detection of serum apelin, IL-18; glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin releasing test (IRT), calculated homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR).The data were put into the SPSS database, The difference in the quantitative data between the groups was compared using t test, the difference had statistical significance if P<0.05. Partial correlation analysis and Spearman correlation analysis were used to analysis relationships between factors.Results 1.Serum apelin level, IL-18 level in PCOS group, were significantly higher than the control group, the differences was statically significant (P<0.05).2.Serum apelin level, IL-18 level in obese PCOS subgroup, were significantly higher thanin non obese PCOS subgroup, the differences was statically significant (P<0.05).3. Apelin level, IL-18 level were higher in control obesity subgroup than that in control non obesity group, the differences was statically significant (P<0.05).4. The obese PCOS subgroup compared with the control obesity group, the levels of apelin level, IL-18 level were higher in obese PCOS subgroup, and the difference was significant.5.There was significant positive correlation between PCOS serum apelin levels and BMI, HOMA-IR, PCOS groups were positively related to serum IL-18 levels and BMI, WHR, FINS and HOMA-IR.Conclusion The serum apelin and IL-18 levels of PCOS patients were significantly higher than that in infertility control group with normal menstruation. Suggested that apelin and IL-18 may have been involved in insulin resistance in PCOS patients and in the development of PCOS.