Objective: To measure serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) levels and study its associations with lipoproteins in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Methods: Sixty-five PCOS women and 20 ovulating normal women with body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 as controls were recruited. PCOS women were divided to two groups: 27 BMI >or = 25 kg/m2 patients as obese group; 38 BMI < 25 kg/m2 as non-obese group. Serum MCP-1 was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Serum prolactin (PRL), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing (LH), estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) were assayed by chemoluminescence method. Serum androstenedione (A) was assayed by radioimmunity method in patients. And triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), apoprotein A (ApoA), apoprotein B (ApoB) , lipoprotein (a) [LP(a)], high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C) were measured.
Results: MCP-1 (P = 0.001) and ApoB (P = 0.018) levels were found to be significantly increased in PCOS groups compared with that of controls, but the ratio of ApoA/ ApoB was significantly decreased in groups PCOS (P = 0.015). PCOS obese group had markedly higher MCP-1 serum levels than non-obese group (P = 0.012), and MCP-1 serum levels in PCOS non-obese group higher than controls (P = 0.03). Univariate analysis revealed that serum MCP-1 levels were significantly and positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.350, P = 0.001), LH(r = 0.262, P = 0.016), TG (r = 0.480, P = 0.000) and ApoB (r = 0.289, P =0.008); but significantly and negatively correlated with the ratio of ApoA/ ApoB (r = -0.282, P = 0.009). Partial correlation showed that serum MCP-1 levels were correlation with LH (r = 0.2577, P = 0.020) and TG (r = 0.4611,P = 0.000). Multiple regression analysis showed that MCP-1 levels was influenced by BMI and TG. Furthermore, TG showed more effect on MCP-1 levels.
Conclusion: PCOS obese and non-obese patients had higher serum MCP-1 levels than controls. MCP-1 was correlated with BMI, LH ,TG, ApoB and the ratio of ApoA/ ApoB. BMI and TG were two major determining factors of MCP-1 in patients with PCOS. Furthermore,TG had more effect on MCP-1 levels. Based on the above findings, we presume that MCP-1 is likely to participate in the pathophysiology and long-term complication of PCOS.