Investigating Fetuin-A and Paraoxonase-1 Activity as Markers in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Based on Body Mass Index: A Prospective Case-Control Study.

Introduction Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have an increased risk for the development of systemic and metabolic pathogenesis such as cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance (IR), diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipidemia. However, there is no reliable marker to show the relation. Fetuin-A is an adipokine whereas paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) is a high-density lipoprotein-linked enzyme to demonstrate oxidative stress. This study aimed to evaluate serum fetuin-A and PON-1 levels in infertile PCOS women based on body mass index (BMI). Methods A prospective case-control study in a university setting was designed. A total of 88 patients admitted to the Giresun University Faculty of Medicine Gynecology Clinic between February and April 2021 were included in the study. The subjects were divided as follows: PCOS-low-BMI (BMI≤25) vs. Controls-low-BMI (BMI≤25) and PCOS-high-BMI (BMI>25) vs. Controls-high-BMI (BMI>25). Those who had at least two criteria of the 2003 Rotterdam Consensus were diagnosed with PCOS. Serum fetuin-A and PON-1 levels were compared. Results The mean levels of fetuin-A were not significantly different in the groups (p=0.955). Serum PON-1 levels were lower in the PCOS group (109.1±61.4 vs. 140.1±80.0; p=0.040), but it lost significance with adjusted values for covariants as age and BMI. Although PON-1 was not significantly different in the PCOS group of BMI<25 kg/m subgroup, it was significantly lower in the PCOS group of BMI≥25 kg/m subgroup (p=0.820 vs. p=0.048). Conclusion Serum fetuin-A activity did not differ with PCOS. Serum PON-1 might be a promising and research-worthy marker, especially for obese PCOS patients.