Increased circulating urocortin-3 levels is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

Gynecol Endocrinol. 2016;32(3):218-22. doi: 10.3109/09513590.2015.1110135. Epub 2015 Nov 20.

Abstract

This study was aimed to compare serum urocortin-3 (UCN3) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women, and establish what role UCN3 levels play in PCOS. Fifty-two patients with PCOS and 55 healthy women were included in the study, matched for age and body mass index. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, hs-CRP, UCN3 and free-testosterone levels of the all participants were measured. HOMA-IR was used to calculate the insulin resistance. Circulating UCN3 levels were significantly increased in women with PCOS than in control subjects (54.49 ± 5.77 versus 51.28 ± 5.86 pmol/l, p = 0.005). Serum insulin, hs-CRP and HOMA-IR levels were higher in women with PCOS than in control group. UCN3 levels positively correlated with hs-CRP in PCOS group (r = 0.391, p = 0.004). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curves were 0.732 (95% CI 0.634-0.830, p < 0.001) for UCN3 levels. The optimal cut-off value of UCN3 for detecting PCOS was ≥51.46 pmol/l, at which the sensitivity was 75% and specificity was 68%. Our results suggest that there is a potential link between PCOS and UCN3 levels. The results of this study support the presence of increased UCN3 levels for the association of inflammation with PCOS.

Keywords: PCOS; hs-CRP; insulin; urocortin-3.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / blood*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / blood*
  • ROC Curve
  • Urocortins / blood*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • UCN3 protein, human
  • Urocortins
  • Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone