title: Plasma von Willebrand factor antigen levels are elevated in the classic phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess plasma Von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to compare these levels among the different PCOS phenotypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 140 women with PCOS and 40 age and body mass index (BMI)- matched healthy women (control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma vWF antigen levels were higher in women with PCOS than in controls (p=0.017). Plasma vWF antigen levels were also higher in patients with phenotypes 1 [i.e. with anovulation (ANOV), biochemical hyperandrogenemia or clinical manifestations of hyperandrogenemia (HA) and polycystic ovaries (PCO)] and 2 (i.e. with ANOV and HA but without PCO) than in controls (p=0.017). In contrast, plasma vWF antigen levels did not differ between controls and patients with phenotypes 3 (i.e. with HA and PCO but without ANOV) and 4 (i.e. with ANOV and PCO but without HA) or between patients with phenotypes 1 and 2 and patients with phenotypes 3 and 4. When overweight/obese and normal weight subjects were analyzed separately, plasma vWF antigen levels did not differ between patients with PCOS (regardless of phenotype) and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma vWF levels are elevated in women with PCOS. This increase appears to be more pronounced in women with phenotypes 1 and 2 of PCOS. Given the association between vWF levels and increased incidence of cardiovascular events, the evaluation of vWF levels in women with PCOS might be helpful for cardiovascular risk stratification, but prospective studies are needed to support this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Human Reproduction, Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koiou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tziomalos
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Katsikis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dinas
authors.forename: Elena A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tsourdi
authors.forename: Eleni A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kandaraki
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delkos
authors.forename: Efstathios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papadakis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C029417:Von Willebrand antigen; D014841:von Willebrand Factor