Elevated serum TNF-alpha levels in normal-weight women with polycystic ovaries or the polycystic ovary syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in nonobese women with those in women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy controls.


METHODS
Twenty-one sonographically and biochemically diagnosed women with PCOS, 19 with PCO and 14 healthy women were recruited for the study. Serum TNF-alpha levels were measured in all three groups. Insulin and glucose serum concentrations were analyzed before and after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test in all samples. The serum TNF-alpha, glucose and insulin levels were compared in PCOS, PCO and controls.


RESULTS
Serum TNF-alpha levels were similar in the PCOS and PCO groups (23.67 +/- 5.58 and 13.58 +/- 1.34 pg/mL, respectively) and significantly higher than in the control group. Serum TNF-alpha levels did not significantly correlated with body mass index, serum total testosterone, LH, DHEAS, fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels or glucose and insulin area under the curve values in the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We found similar TNF-alpha levels in patients with PCOS and with PCO; however, there was no correlation between the TNF-alpha and insulin, glucose and androgen levels in the study.
Sayin
N Cenk
NC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, 22030, Edirne, Turkey. ncsayin@yahoo.com
Gücer
Fatih
F
Balkanli-Kaplan
Petek
P
Yüce
M Ali
MA
Ciftci
Sentürk
S
Kücük
Mustafa
M
Yardim
Turgut
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000097:blood*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis*
D000728:Androgens; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha