Serum Phoenixin-14 levels of women with polycystic ovary syndrome increase proportionally with BMI.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare serum PNX-14 values of women with PCOS classified as lean or overweight according to the BMI values.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty lean or overweight women diagnosed with PCOS according to the revised Rotterdam criteria were included in the study. They were divided into two groups according to their BMI values. Thirty patients with BMI values of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 constituted the normal-weight PCOS group. Twenty patients with BMI values of 25-29.9 kg/m2 formed the overweight PCOS group. Thirty patients with regular menstrual cycles who did not exhibit clinical and laboratory findings of PCOS were selected as the control group. The patients in the control group were also divided into two different groups as normal weight (n=17) and overweight (n=13). In anovulatory PCOS group, blood samples were collected on the third day of progesterone withdrawal bleeding. Both in ovulatory PCOS and control groups, blood samples were collected on the third day of spontaneous menstrual cycle. In addition to basal hormonal parameters, serum phoenixin-14 concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS: LH values of the overweight or lean PCOS group were significantly higher than the overweight or lean non-PCOS group (p<0.01). The LH/FSH ratios of the lean and obese PCOS groups were significantly higher than the non-PCOS control group (p<0.01). Testosterone levels of both lean and obese PCOS groups were significantly higher than non-PCOS groups (p<0.02). The HOMA-IR value of the obese PCOS group was significantly higher than the lean PCOS group (p<0.03). The HOMA-IR values of the patients in the PCOS group were significantly higher than the non-PCOS controls. Phoenixin-14 levels of the obese PCOS group were approximately three times higher than the lean PCOS group (p<0.01). Phoenixin-14 levels of the obese non-PCOS group were also three times higher than the lean non-PCOS group (p<0.01). Serum Phoenixin-14 levels of patients in the lean PCOS group were significantly higher than in the lean non-PCOS group (9.11±2.09 pg/mL vs. 2.04±0.11 pg/mL, p<0.01). Serum Phoenixin-14 levels of the patients in the obese PCOS group were significantly higher than in the obese non-PCOS group (27.4±3.04 pg/mL vs. 6.44±1.09 pg/mL, p<0.01). A positive and significant correlation was found between serum PNX-14 levels and BMI, HOMA-IR, LH, and testosterone levels in both lean and obese PCOS patients.

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed for the first time that serum PNX-14 levels are significantly increased in lean and obese PCOS patients. The increase in PNX-14 showed a proportional trend with BMI levels. Serum PNX-14 levels were correlated positively with serum LH, testosterone, and HOMA-IR.