Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To compare kisspeptin levels between different phenotypes of PCOS and to analyze the correlation between kisspeptin and PCOS-related hormonal and metabolic disturbances.

Patients and methods: The study included 87 women with PCOS, and a control group of 27 clinically healthy women, corresponding in age and BMI to the patients with PCOS. Circulating levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), prolactin, fasting insulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and kisspeptin were measured.

Results: There are 4 phenotypes in women with PCOS – А (oligoanovulation, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovaries) (n=33), В (oligoanovulation and hyperandrogensim) (n=21), С (hyperandrogenism an polycystic ovaries) (n=19) и D (oligoanovulation and polycystic ovaries) (n=15). There were no significant differences in age (P=0.615) and BMI (Р=0.223) between the 4 PCOS subgroups. We found difference in terms of BMI (р = 0.003) only between phenotype A and the control group. We did not find any significant difference between the four PCOS subgroups in terms of kisspeptin, LH, FSH, LH/FSH, E2, TSH, fasting insulin, and prolactin. T levels were significantly higher in phenotype A compared to phenotype D (P=0.028), and DHEA-S was significantly higher in phenotype B compared to phenotype D (P=0.045). In the PCOS group we found a positive correlation between kisspeptin and age (r= 0.250; P= 0.019), BMI (r= 0.259; P= 0.02), FAI (r= 0.354; P= 0.001), A4 (r= 0.435; P< 0.001), fasting insulin (r= 0.299; P= 0.005), and negative one with SHBG (r= -0.319; P= 0.003), DHEA-S (r= -0.282; P= 0.008), PR(r= -0.249; P= 0.020).

Conclusions: Our results indicate that kisspeptin levels are comparable between different PCOS phenotypes and with the control group. Kisspeptin might be associated with metabolic disturbances in PCOS women.

Keywords: PCOS, phenotypes, kisspeptin