The aim of the study was to investigate whether altered adipose tissue secretion of various adipokines is secondary to obesity, hyperandrogenism, and hyperinsulinemia or intrinsic to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This cross-sectional study included 151 women diagnosed with PCOS by the Rotterdam criteria and 95 healthy women matched by age, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Clinical, biochemical, and hormonal characteristics were assessed. Serum concentrations of ghrelin and adiponectin were found to be significantly lower and concentrations of leptin and resistin significantly higher in women with PCOS than in healthy women matched by age, BMI, and WHR. A PCOS diagnosis made the largest contribution to predicting serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin in all stepwise multiple regression models, which included PCOS diagnosis, BMI, WHR, luteinizing hormone, total testosterone, free testosterone and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance as independent predictors. Leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin and resistin levels may serve as independent biomarkers for the diagnosis of PCOS.
Keywords: Polycystic ovary syndrome; adiponectin; ghrelin; leptin; resistin.