Abstract
Objective: To investigate the potential of selected biochemical, endocrine, and metabolic biomarkers for early diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among non-obese women.
Methods: A prospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted at three medical centers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, between July 15 and September 20, 2017. Eligible participants were non-obese women diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria (n=44) and non-obese normo-ovulatory women without signs of PCOS (control group; n=44). Anthropometric variables related to metabolic profile were determined. Laboratory measures were assessed using fasting blood samples.
Results: Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were increased among women with PCOS (both P<0.001). When compared with the control group, patients in the PCOS group exhibited increases in cholesterol (13.8%), triglycerides (36.6%), low-density lipoprotein (73.2%), fasting glucose (9.2%), fasting insulin (49.4%), luteinizing-hormone/follicle-stimulating-hormone ratio (205.3%), 17 beta-estradiol (39.2%), testosterone (202.3%), and vascular endothelial growth factor (241.7%) (all P<0.001); and decreases in high-density lipoprotein (-25.3%), progesterone (-7.4%), and sex hormone-binding globulin (-54.0%) (all P<0.001). Vitamin D (P=0.095) and Kisspeptin (P=0.944) levels did not differ between the groups.
Conclusion: Various parameters could potentially be used as biomarkers to assess risk of PCOS, even among symptom-free non-obese women.