Objective: To determine serum adiponectin concentrations in adolescent girls with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to assess possible correlations of adiponectin levels with insulin and androgen levels.
Design: Prospective case-control study.
Setting: Endocrine clinics in the community.
Patients: Forty-four adolescent girls were grouped as follows: 14 were overweight [body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score >1.645] with PCOS; 16 were lean (BMI SDS <1.036) with PCOS; and 14 were lean (BMI SDS <1.036) without PCOS. Intervention Blood samples were collected from all girls between 8 and 11 am, after an overnight fast.
Main outcome measures: Serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, insulin, Müllerian-inhibiting substance, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, androstendione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and 17beta-oestradiol.
Results: Adiponectin concentrations were significantly decreased in obese adolescents with PCOS (10.5 +/- 5.5 mug/ml) compared with that in lean girls with or without PCOS (16.9 +/- 8.64 and 18.0 +/- 7.4 mug/ml respectively). Leptin levels were significantly elevated in obese adolescents with PCOS compared with the levels in normal weight adolescents with PCOS, and compared with that in normal weight controls. Insulin levels were markedly higher in obese adolescents with PCOS compared with that in normal weight adolescents (12.3 +/- 12.2 vs. 4.5 +/- 2.9, P < 0.05), and compared with that in normal weight PCOS adolescents (7.4 +/- 4.9); however, this difference was not statistically significant. Insulin levels did not differ between normal weight adolescents with PCOS and normal controls. Adiponectin concentrations correlated inversely with BMI, leptin and insulin.
Conclusions: Hypoadiponectinaemia is evident only in obese adolescents with PCOS and therefore does not seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS in this age group.