Serum adiponectin and resistin levels in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and their clinical implications

In this study, serum adiponectin and resistin levels were determined in 46 patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and their correlation with serum sexual hormones and insulin resistance (IR) were examined. The subjects included 26 obese patients with body mass index (BMI)>25 and 20 non-obese patients with BMI⩽25, with 25 obese and 25 non-obese healthy volunteers without PCOS serving as controls. Serum adiponectin and resistin levels in all subjects were measured, and endocrinal and metabolic indices were also analysed. Our results showed that the serum adiponectin levels in both obese and non-obese PCOS groups were significantly lower than their controls, while the serum resistin levels in obese and non-obese PCOS group were significantly higher than in their controls (P<0.001). The serum adiponectin level was significantly lower and serum resistin level significantly higher in the non-obese PCOS group as compared with the obese control group (P<0.05). Serum adiponectin level was negatively correlated with FIN, HOMA-IR, LH and LH/FSH (P<0.05), but serum resistin level was positively correlated with FIN, HOMA-IR, LH and LH/FSH (P<0.05). We are led to conclude that PCOS patients have obvious IR, low serum adiponectin and high serum resistin, and adiponectin and resistin might play important roles in the pathogenesis of IR in PCOS patients.