Adipocytokines, Insulinresistance and Androgen Excess in Women

Androgen excess (AE), the commonest endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, has been recognized as a key risk factor for cardio-metabolic abnormalities. Dysfunctional visceral adipose tissue presumably intermediates deleterious effects of androgen hormones, to increase metabolic and vascular risk. High molecular weight (HMW)-adiponectin is selectively decreased in patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and might act as independent biomarker of metabolic dysfunction, while visfatin, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is related to AE and predicts endothelial dysfunction. As suggested by our work, the bone-pancreas endocrine loop might be involved through alterations in bone matrix undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) production as, in PCOS, both are associated with hyperandrogenemia and hyperinsulinism, and OPG also predicts vascular risk.