Elabela, Nitric Oxide and Apelin in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major health issue amid fertile-aged women in all society. Therefore, we investigated levels of Elabela (ELA), Apelin (APLN), and Nitric Oxide (NO) in women with and without PCOS, and to identify whether there is any association between ELA, APLN, NO and metabolic parameters. 27 PCOS and 30 control subjects were included. ELA, APLN and NO levels were analyzed by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Both groups demonstrated no significant difference in terms of age and Body mass index (BMI), Insulin, HOMA-IR, Ferriman–Gallwey score, and free testosterone were significantly higher (p < 0.05), whereas high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and estradiol (E2) levels were lower in women with the PCOS than that of controls. Lower ELA levels [(28.6 versus 39.4) ng/ml, p<0.05], and lower NO [(194.8 versus 322.5) µmol/L, p <0.001], and higher APLN levels [(478.7 versus 388.4) pg/ml, p <0.05] were reported in PCOS patients compared to controls. ELA and NO are significantly down regulated while APLN (p<0.05) is significantly up regulated (p<0.05) in PCOS patients compared to controls. Based on the findings of this study, decreased ELA and NO, increased APLN levels may be considered as potential regulators of glucose and fat metabolism in PCOS patients. It was also assumed that early measurement of ELA, APLN and NO in PCOS cases might help to avoid the aggravation of PCOS.