Tenascin-C levels in polycystic ovary syndrome and polycystic ovarian morphology

OBJECTIVE: It is considered that the underlying reason for metabolic anomalies and ovarian dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is low-grade chronic inflammation. Therefore, we aimed to investigate Tenascin-C (TN-C) levels in PCOS. This is the first study to document the impact of inflammation with TN-C in this specific population. METHODS: A total of 90 participants, consisting of 30 PCOS patients, 30 polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) patients, and 30 matched healthy controls between September 2018 and April 2019 enrolled. All participants were randomized by age and body mass index. Demographic, clinical characteristics, ultrasonographic features, lipid profile, hormonal and metabolic parameters were collected. RESULTS: When comparing serum TN-C levels between PCOS, PCOM and control subjects, a statistically significant difference was observed only between subjects with PCOS and control subjects (p=0.009). ROC analysis demonstrated that PCOS could be predicted with 89.7% sensitivity and 45.5% specificity when TN-C levels are cut off at 1.87 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that TN-C level was higher in the PCOS group compared to PCOM and control groups, while it was similar between the PCOM and the control groups. It may be suggested that TN-C levels may contribute to the differentiation between PCOS and PCOM.