title: Is hepcidin a new cardiovascular risk marker in polycystic ovary syndrome?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with reproductive and metabolic abnormalities and carries a number of cardiovascular risk factors. Low-grade chronic inflammation has been thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and PCOS patients have an increased rate of subclinical inflammation. In the present study, considering the major role that hepcidin plays in the regulation of iron metabolism and as an inflammatory marker, we investigated hepcidin in PCOS patients and its role in predicting cardiovascular disease (CVD) development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with PCOS and 40 age- and body mass index-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Iron metabolites, insulin resistance (IR), inflammatory markers and hepcidin levels were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IR parameters, inflammatory markers, iron parameters and hepcidin levels were similar between the PCOS and control groups. While the inflammatory markers were significantly high in the overweight and obese PCOS subgroup, the hepcidin levels were also high but this elevation was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity is the principle mechanism of chronic inflammation and IR in PCOS patients. C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 should be used to predict and follow the risk of CVD development in PCOS cases. Hepcidin may be used as an additional marker in the follow-up of PCOS patients in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sungurlu State Hospital, Çorum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gözdemir
authors.forename: Ikbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kaygusuz
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kafalı
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D064451:Hepcidins; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; C578702:HAMP protein, human; D064451:Hepcidins; D007328:Insulin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D007501:Iron