Serum Fetuin-A levels are increased and associated with insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

BackgroundInsulin resistance (IR) is a common characteristic of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It has been reported that circulating Fetuin-A levels were associated with IR and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, previous reports were inconsistent.MethodsTwo hundred seven subjects were screened for PCOS according to the diagnostic guideline of the Rotterdam consensus criterion. Serum Fetuin-A levels were measured using an ELISA kit. An independent t-test or Nonparametric test was used to detect differences between PCOS and control groups. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to examine the association of the serum Fetuin-A with other parameters.ResultsOur findings showed that circulating Fetuin-A concentration ranged from 196.6 to 418.2 mu g/L for most women without PCOS (95%). Women with PCOS had higher circulating Fetuin-A levels than healthy women (437.9119.3 vs. 313.8 +/- 60.5 mu g/L; p< 0.01). Serum Fetuin-A was positively correlated with BMI, WHR, TG, TC, LDL-C, HOMA-IR, LH, T, and DHEA-S. Multivariate regression analysis showed that WHR, TG, HOMA-IR, and DHEA-S were independent predictors of the levels of circulating Fetuin-A. Binary logistic regression revealed that serum Fetuin-A was associated with the occurrence of PCOS. In addition, our ROC curve analysis found that the cutoff values for Fetuin-A to predict PCOS and IR were 366.3 and 412.6<mu>g/L.Conclusion p id=Par Blood Fetuin-A may be a useful biomarker for screening women for PCOS and IR.