Abstract:

Objective  To investigate the correlation between the serum irisin level and the metabolic parameters in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and observe changes in the serum irisin level before and after metformin treatment.  Methods A total of 79 patients with PCOS (the PCOS group) and 57 patients with tubal infertility and regular menstruation (the control group) were enrolled. Twenty-six PCOS patients with obesity or insulin resistance (IR) received 6 months treatment of oral metformin (500 mg tid). The serum irisin level and relevant indexes were compared between the two groups and their changes before and after treatment with metformin were observed.  Results The serum irisin level in the PCOS group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.000) and the serum irisin level in PCOS patients with obesity was higher than that in PCOS patients without obesity (P=0.001). After 6 months of metformin treatment, PCOS patients had a significant decrease in serum irisin level and improved IR. Correlation analysis revealed that the serum irisin level had a positive correlation with HOMA-IR (r=0.240, P=0.033). Conclusion The serum irisin level in PCOS patients significantly increases and has a positive correlation with HOMA-IR, which may be associated with the occurrence and development of IR. The metformin treatment can significantly decrease the serum irisin level in PCOS patients.

Key words: polycystic ovary syndrome, irisin, metformin