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Kisspeptin levels in relation to sex hormone profile among PCOS patients

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Abstract

Introduction

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease among women in the reproductive age that is associated with consequences such as insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia. This study was aimed to assess the association of sex hormone profile and kisspeptin levels in PCOS women in Gorgan, Iran.

Methods

In this case-control study, 43 women with diagnosed PCOS between the ages of 15 and 37 years and 40 healthy demographically matched controls were recruited. Sex hormone profile and kisspeptin levels were measured in these subjects using ELISA assay kits.

Results

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and kisspeptin levels were significantly lower in cases than in controls. Luteinizing hormone (LH), free-testosterone (FT), 17-OH-progesterone (17-OH-P), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), estradiol (E2), and free androgen index (FAI) were higher in PCOS significantly. There was a significant positive correlation between kisspeptin levels and LH and E2 in cases (p = 0.037 and p = 0.024, respectively). The results of the regression analysis have shown a significant association between the LH and kisspeptin concentrations in PCOS group (r = 0.275, p = 0.037).

Conclusion

PCOS patients had lower plasma kisspeptin level that was positively correlated with LH and estradiol levels. Also, higher levels of free androgens were demonstrated in these patients. It is suggested that kisspeptin may be involved in complex interactions of the sex hormone endocrine system of PCOS.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the personnel of Metabolic Disorders Research Center of Golestan University of Medical Sciences for their cooperation in this research project.

Funding

The present work was funded by deputy chancellor of Golestan University of Medical Sciences (grant no. پ/گ/35/26619).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Elham Zarei

  2. Biochemistry & Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Elham Zarei & Azadreza Mansourian

  3. Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran

    Maryam Moradi Binabaj

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Gorgan Medical School, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Fatemeh Mohammad Zadeh

  5. Department of Gynaecology, Gorgan Medical School, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Sepideh Bakhshandeh Nosrat

  6. Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

    Gholamreza Veghari

Authors
  1. Elham Zarei
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  2. Maryam Moradi Binabaj
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  3. Fatemeh Mohammad Zadeh
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  4. Sepideh Bakhshandeh Nosrat
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  5. Gholamreza Veghari
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  6. Azadreza Mansourian
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Contributions

E Zarei: data collection, management and interpretation.

M Moradi Binabaj: data analysis and contributed to writing the manuscript.

F Mohammad Zadeh: manuscript writing and editing.

S Bakhshandeh Nosrat: carried out the experiments and manuscript editing.

G Veghari: designed experiments and wrote the manuscript.

A Mansourian: protocol and project development.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Maryam Moradi Binabaj or Azadreza Mansourian.

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Ethics approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the Golestan University of Medical Sciences.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Neither the article nor portions of it have been previously published elsewhere, and the manuscript is not under consideration for publication in another journal.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Zarei, E., Binabaj, M.M., Zadeh, F.M. et al. Kisspeptin levels in relation to sex hormone profile among PCOS patients. Ir J Med Sci 191, 1711–1716 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-021-02733-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-021-02733-w

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