Unmasking metabolic clues: adipsin, irisin and osteopontin as biomarkers in polycystic ovary syndrome and their impact on metabolic dynamics: a case-control study.

Abstract

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, often associated with metabolic alterations. This study assessed serum levels of adipsin, irisin, and osteopontin in patients with PCOS and examined their correlations with metabolic parameters.

Material and methods: A case-control study was conducted involving 96 women with PCOS and 80 healthy controls. Serum levels of adipsin, irisin, and osteopontin were measured; demographic, clinical, and metabolic characteristics were evaluated.

Results: Patients with PCOS were significantly younger than controls (p < 0.001). The PCOS group included a significantly greater proportion of obese individuals (p = 0.013). Patients with PCOS exhibited elevated serum adipsin (p = 0.020) and reduced osteopontin (p < 0.001) levels relative to controls; obesity and age influenced these differences. Osteopontin demonstrated superior predictive power for PCOS diagnosis [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.802] compared with adipsin (AUC = 0.602). A combination of osteopontin and adipsin yielded the highest predictive value (AUC = 0.817) among double or triple biomarker combinations.

Conclusions: This study identified potential associations among adipsin, osteopontin, irisin, and PCOS. Further research is warranted to elucidate their roles and clinical implications in PCOS and its metabolic alterations. The findings highlight the impact of age and obesity on these biomarkers and their relationships with PCOS, providing insight into the syndrome's complex pathophysiology.