title: Study of circulating hepcidin in association with iron excess, metabolic syndrome, and BMP-6 expression in granulosa cells in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the role of hepcidin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven PCOS patients and 94 healthy parous women volunteered for the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of hepcidin, hormone and lipid profiles, parameters of iron and glucose metabolism, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6) mRNA expressions in the granulosa cells (GCs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCOS patients showed increased serum iron concentration and higher circulating hepcidin levels compared with control subjects, even with only lean subjects. Circulating hepcidin correlated with iron parameters, androgen index, hs-CRP, and fasting glucose and insulin levels, and with iron and ferritin levels after multiple regression analysis. We analyzed BMP-6 mRNA expression in the 89 GCs from nine PCOS patients and five non-PCOS women with the use of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and no correlations existed between iron parameters, including circulating hepcidin, and BMP-6 expression in the GCs from PCOS women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCOS patients had iron excess and higher hepcidin levels, which are associated with metabolic derangements. Circulating hepcidin is appropriately increased relative to the iron burden even in PCOS women, suggesting that iron excess in PCOS women does not result from a defect in the production of hepcidin. But there were no correlations between iron parameters and the expression of the BMP-6 in GCs from PCOS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fertility Center, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Genetics Laboratory, Fertility Center, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fertility Center, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Ki
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Genetics Laboratory, Fertility Center, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fertility Center, CHA Gangnam Medical Center, CHA University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: wooslee@cha.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Woo Sik
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D055418:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C525816:BMP6 protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D055418:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6; D064451:Hepcidins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007501:Iron
keywords: BMP-6; Polycystic ovary syndrome; hepcidin; iron excess; metabolic syndrome