title: Association between inflammatory biomarker serum procalcitonin and obesity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a potential biomarker of obesity-related, low-grade inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We aimed to investigate whether serum procalcitonin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome and with obesity. A case-control study included 107 women with PCOS and 93 healthy controls, they were then stratified according to their body mass index (BMI) into three subgroups; lean, overweight and obese. Serum PCT levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. PCOS patients had significantly higher levels of serum PCT, hs-CRP, WBC, and neutrophil counts than healthy women. In control and PCOS groups, serum PCT, hs-CRP levels, WBC, and neutrophil counts were significantly increased in overweight and obese women compared with lean subjects. Serum PCT levels were positively correlated with BMI, waist/hip ratio, total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, LH/FSH, hs-CRP values, WBC and neutrophil counts in PCOS women. We also observed that the increasing obesity was accompanied by a significant increase in the mean values of serum PCT and neutrophil counts in PCOS patients. We conclude that serum PCT is a novel biomarker for low-grade chronic inflammation in PCOS patients, especially in obese women. Thus, PCT is a promising useful marker for accurate diagnosis of the inflammatory activity of body fat and of PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nearmeen M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rashad
authors.forename: Amal S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: El-Shal
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdelaziz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014280:Triglycerides; D002116:Calcitonin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide