High sensitive serum C-reactive protein and its relationship with other cardiovascular risk factors in normoinsulinemic polycystic ovary patients without metabolic syndrome

PURPOSE: The aims of the study were to investigate high sensitive serum C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) levels in normoinsulinemic polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients without metabolic syndrome and whether there was any relationship between HS-CRP and other cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and serum lipids.

METHODS: A total of 52 normoinsulinemic PCOS women without metabolic syndrome and 48 normoandrogenic ovulatory women were enrolled in the study. Standard clinical examinations, and ultrasonographic and endocrine screening including FSH, LH, total testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were measured. Normal insulin sensitivity was defined on the basis of fasting serum glucose and insulin levels, serum insulin response to an oral glucose tolerance test and homeostatic model of insulin resistance. HS-CRP was assessed spectrophotometrically.

RESULTS: PCOS patients had increased HS-CRP compared to the control group (P < 0.0001). HS-CRP was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.44, P < 0.0001), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001), LDL (r = 0.62, P < 0.0001), TC (r = 0.56, P < 0.0001) and TG (r = 0.38, P < 0.0001), and negatively correlated with HDL (r = -0.45, P < 0.0001). There was also a strong association between HS-CRP and PCOS status (r = 0.69, P < 0.0001) in the study. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that BMI, WHR, LDL, HDL and PCOS status were also the independent variables that influenced HS-CRP in the overall group.

CONCLUSION: Elevated HS-CRP was associated with cardiovascular risk factors in normoinsulinemic PCOS without metabolic syndrome. These patients need more intensive screening or treatment for this disease.