An Exploratory Study of Serum Vasorin Levels in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Novel Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis and Pathogenesis.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to investigate the potential role of vasorin as a novel biomarker in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by evaluating serum vasorin levels in women diagnosed with PCOS. Methods: A prospective study was conducted at Düzce University Faculty of Medicine between March and July 2024, including 92 women with PCOS, diagnosed based on the 2003 Rotterdam criteria, and 68 age- and BMI-matched healthy controls. Serum vasorin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared between the two groups. Additionally, correlations between vasorin levels and metabolic, inflammatory, and hormonal parameters were analyzed. Results: Women with PCOS had significantly lower serum vasorin levels (median: 0.70 pg/mL) compared to the control group (median: 2.36 pg/mL, p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between vasorin and metabolic or hormonal parameters in the PCOS group. However, a weak positive correlation with prolactin was observed in the control group (r = 0.264, p = 0.030). Although vasorin is involved in inflammatory and oxidative-stress pathways, its association with insulin resistance and lipid metabolism remains unclear based on this study. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated a high diagnostic performance for vasorin in distinguishing PCOS from healthy individuals (AUC = 0.918, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.869-0.967). The optimal cutoff value for vasorin (1.285 pg/mL) yielded 92.6% sensitivity and 87.0% specificity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that vasorin may serve as a promising biomarker for PCOS, potentially linking hormonal dysregulation, inflammatory responses, and ovarian dysfunction. However, further validation is required through longitudinal studies, multi-center cohorts, and mechanistic investigations. Additionally, comparative assessments with established biomarkers such as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and androgen levels are warranted to determine vasorin's diagnostic and prognostic utility in clinical practice.