title: Elevated C-reactive protein and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  C-reactive protein (CRP) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) are inflammatory factors involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to analyse serum concentrations of CRP and MCP-1 in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to test the effect of these factors on human THP-1 cells to determine the inflammatory state of these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-five women with PCOS and 65 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles, matched for age and body mass index (BMI), were included in the study. Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, fasting glucose and fasting insulin were monitored. Serum CRP and MCP-1 were compared between patients with PCOS and controls. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate was used to induce the differentiation of human THP-1 monocytes into THP-1 macrophages. THP-1 macrophages were incubated with serum from patients with PCOS or controls for 24h, and MCP-1 mRNA expression was determined using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum CRP and MCP-1 levels were significantly higher in women with PCOS compared with controls (CRP 1.9±2.0 mg/l vs. 0.9±0.8 mg/l; MCP-1 125.7±68.0 ng/ml vs. 89.8±68.3 ng/ml, respectively). Serum CRP level was positively correlated with BMI (r=0.494, p=0.000), waist:hip ratio (r=0.451, p=0.000), testosterone (r=0.214, p=0.032), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; r=0.617, p=0.000) and MCP-1 (r=0.219, p=0.027), and negatively correlated with HDL-C (r=-0.209, p=0.035). MCP-1 level was positively correlated with BMI (r=0.381, p=0.000), waist:hip ratio (r=0.421, p=0.000), HOMA-IR (r=0.265, p=0.007) and triglycerides (r=0.439, p=0.000). MCP-1 mRNA expression in THP-1 cells incubated with serum from patients with PCOS was significantly higher than that in THP-1 cells incubated with serum from controls (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with PCOS suffer low-grade chronic inflammation indicated by higher levels of CRP and MCP-1, which could lead to increased risk of atherogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002460:Cell Line; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000209:etiology; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000209:etiology; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000209:etiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000209:etiology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D044967:Serum / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: C111835:CCL2 protein, human; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002097:C-Reactive Protein