Serum fatty acid profiles associated with metabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Ye Tian; Jingjing Zhang; Mingyue Li; Jie Shang; Xiaohong Bai; Huijuan Zhang; Yanxia Wang; Haitao Chen; Xueru Song

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1077590

Serum fatty acid profiles associated with metabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Mar 31:14:1077590. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1077590. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ye Tian^{1

2}, Jingjing Zhang^{3

4}, Mingyue Li^{1

2}, Jie Shang^{1

2}, Xiaohong Bai^{1

2}, Huijuan Zhang^{1

2}, Yanxia Wang^{1

2}, Haitao Chen^{3

4}, Xueru Song^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
² Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
³ School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Purpose: Dyslipidemia is a feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that may augment metabolic disturbances. Serum fatty acids are important biomedical indicators of dyslipidemia. The aim of this study was to determine the distinct serum fatty acids in various PCOS subtypes and their association with metabolic risk in women with PCOS.

Methods: Fatty acids in the serum of 202 women with PCOS were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fatty acids were compared between PCOS subtypes and correlated with glycemic parameters, adipokines, homocysteine, sex hormones, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).

Results: The levels of total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the reproductive subtype of PCOS were lower than those in the metabolic subtype. Docosahexaenoic acid, a PUFA, was associated with higher SHBG after correction for multiple comparisons. Eighteen species of fatty acids emerged as potential biomarkers associated with the metabolic risk factors measured, independent of body mass index (BMI). Among them, myristic acid (C14:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1), oleic acid (C18:1n-9C), cis-vaccenic acid (C18:1n-7), and homo-gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3n-6) were the strongest lipid species that were consistently associated with metabolic risk factors, particularly insulin-related parameters in women with PCOS. As for adipokines, 16 fatty acids were positively associated with serum leptin. Among them, C16:1 and C20:3n-6were significantly associated with leptin levels.

Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that a distinct fatty acid profile comprising high C14:0, C16:1, C18:1n-9C, C18:1n-7, and C20:3n-6levels is associated with metabolic risk in women with PCOS, independent of BMI.

Keywords: GC-MS; PUFA; fatty acid; metabolic risk; pcos.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Fatty Acids* / metabolism
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / metabolism
Female
Humans
Insulin
Leptin
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* / metabolism

Substances

Fatty Acids
Leptin
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
Insulin

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82171625, 81701410); the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (20JCQNJC00470); and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Basic Research Cooperation Program (19JCZDJC65000(Z), 19JCZDJC65000). This research was funded by the Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project (TJYXZDXK-031A).