It is believed that important pathogenic mechanism in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is hyperinsulinemia. Insulin synthesis is linked to C-peptide release, but the role of C-peptide in PCOS is not well described. THE AIM OF THE STUDY was to evaluate C-peptide serum levels in overweight or obese women with PCOS and assessment of correlation between serum concentrations of C-peptide and androgens and metabolic disturbances in PCOS.
Materials and methods: 65 women diagnosed with PCOS were included to the study. I group consisted of 5 overweight PCOS women (27.2 +/- 3.6 years old; BMI 27.3 +/-1.5 kg/m2), and II group included 60 obese PCOS women (26.2 +/- 6.3 years old; BMI 35.0 +/- 4.45 kg/m2). The control group consisted of 10 healthy, ovulatory women with normal weight (aged 28.8 +/- 4.8 years; BMI 21.2 +/- 2.1 kg/m2). Folliculotrophin (FSH), lutrophin (LH), 17beta-estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and insulin concentrations were measured in serum. Serum fasting glucose levels and lipid profile was assessed: total cholersterol (Ch), triglycerides (TG), low (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). C-peptide levels were measured using commercially available test (Human C-Peptide ELISA Kit, Dako).
Results: C-peptide concentrations in PCOS overweight group were 1.39 +/- 0.9, and in PCOS obese group were 1.31 +/- 1.05 nmol/I, whereas among healthy women 1.62 +/- 1.56 nmol/I. Those differences were not statistically significant. C-peptide serum levels did not correlated significantly with FSH, LH, E2, T, DHEAS serum levels within studied groups. Negative correlation between C-peptide and glucose serum levels was found in control group (R = -0.71; p < 0.05). Positive correlation between these values in PCOS overweight group was found (R = 0.90; p < 0.05). In PCOS obese group there was no correlation between these values.
Conclusions: Young obese or overweight women with PCOS are characterized by comparable serum C-peptide levels to serum C-peptide concentration in healthy young women. There is no correlation between serum C-peptide and androgens in obese or overweight patients with PCOS. The link between C-peptide and hyperinsulinemia and other metabolic disturbances in PCOS is very complex and requires further studies.