Serum Adipsin Levels in Obese and Normal Weight Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a chronic and heterogeneous disease associated with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia and chronic low-grade inflammation. Adipsin is a protein that is mostly secreted from adipose tissue and is a structural homolog of complement factor D, the rate-limiting enzyme of the alternative complement system. The aim of this study was to investigate adipsin levels in adolescents with PCOS and their relationship with obesity. 40 normal weight--children with PCOS and 40 obese-children with PCOS, and 40 normal weight healthy children participated in our study. Adipsin levels of adolescents in each group was measured in morning fasting blood samples by a commercial ELISA kit. Adipsin levels showed statistically significant differences between the groups. (p<0.001). Normal-weight PCOS adolescents had higher adipsin levels than both obese PCOS and healthy controls. A negative correlation was observed between adipsin levels and BMI in the PCOS group (r=-0,457, p<0,001). In conclusion, adipsin can be considered as an independent risk factor in normal weight adolescents with PCOS and may help in the diagnosis of PCOS in normal weight children with other symptoms.