title: The relationship between epicardial fat tissue thickness and visceral adipose tissue in lean patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is related to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular metabolic syndromes. This is particularly true for individuals with central and abdominal obesity because visceral abdominal adipose tissue (VAAT) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) produce a large number of proinflammatory and proatherogenic cytokines. The present study aimed to determine whether there are changes in VAAT and EAT levels which were considered as indirect predictors for subclinical atherosclerosis in lean patients with PCOS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical and demographic characteristics of 35 patients with PCOS and 38 healthy control subjects were recorded for the present study. Additionally, the serum levels of various biochemical parameters were measured and EAT levels were assessed using 2D-transthoracic echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in mean age (p = 0.056) or mean body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.446) between the patient and control groups. However, the body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, amount of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, and VAAT thickness were higher in the PCOS patient group than in the control group. The amounts of EAT in the patient and control groups were similar (p = 0.384). EAT was correlated with BMI, fat mass, waist circumference, and hip circumference but not with any biochemical metabolic parameters including the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index or the levels of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. However, there was a small positive correlation between the amounts of VAAT and EAT. VAAT was directly correlated with body fat parameters such as BMI, fat mass, and abdominal subcutaneous adipose thickness and inversely correlated with the HDL cholesterol level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study found that increased abdominal adipose tissue in patients with PCOS was associated with atherosclerosis. Additionally, EAT may aid in the determination of the risk of atherosclerosis in patients with PCOS because it is easily measured.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey. drarpaci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arpaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. agurkantoc@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gurkan Tocoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. sabiyeyil@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sabiye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. hasanerg@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ergenc
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. ali_tame@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. nurgul_kes@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Nurgul
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keser
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. huseyin_gund@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gunduz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D013851:Thinness / Q000473:pathology*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio