Bulut Arikan Funda, Sagsoz Nevin
Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Kirikkale, Turkey.
Kirikkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kirikkale, Turkey.
J Med Biochem. 2025 Jun 13;44(3):470-478. doi: 10.5937/jomb0-52348.
Matriptase-2 (MT2) is implicated in iron metabolism, obesity, insulin resistance, and glucose homeostasis. Neurokinin B (NKB) plays a crucial role in gonadotropin secretion, which is essential for reproduction. The impact of menopause and obesity on MT2 and NKB concentrations remains an enigma. Therefore, the present study sought to investigate how obesity and menopause affect serum concentrations of MT2 and NKB.
In this cross-sectional study, 120 female volunteers were divided into four groups: menopausal overweight, menopausal obese, menopausal normal weight (control), and reproductive normal weight (control). The participants' serum levels of MT2, NKB, iron, ferritin, and relevant biochemical parameters were analysed using the ELISA method.
The mean serum concentrations of NKB, MT2, and ferritin were higher in the menopausal overweight and obese groups (p<0.05). The mean concentrations of NKB, MT2, and estradiol were determined to be higher, and the levels of iron, hemoglobin, glucose, FSH, LH, LDL, and total cholesterol were found to be lower in the reproductive control group when compared with the menopausal control group (p<0.05). A positive correlation was identified between BMI and NKB, MT2, and ferritin concentrations in menopausal overweight and obese groups (p<0.05).
Obesity elevated NKB and MT2 concentrations in menopausal women. The increase in MT2 levels in menopausal overweight or obese women may be one of the factors responsible for the increase in ferritin and body fat ratio. As BMI raised, NKB, MT2, and ferritin concentrations raised in the menopausal overweight or obese groups; therefore, depression of MT2 in obese patients could be beneficial for therapeutic purposes. Additionally, gonadal hormonal changes altered serum concentrations of NKB, and the increase in NKB and gonadotropin levels in menopause may enhance vasomotor symptoms.
Matriptase-2（MT2）与铁代谢、肥胖、胰岛素抵抗和葡萄糖稳态有关。神经激肽B（NKB）在促性腺激素分泌中起关键作用，促性腺激素分泌对生殖至关重要。绝经和肥胖对MT2和NKB浓度的影响仍是一个谜。因此，本研究旨在探讨肥胖和绝经如何影响血清MT2和NKB浓度。
在这项横断面研究中，120名女性志愿者被分为四组：绝经后超重组、绝经后肥胖组、绝经后正常体重组（对照组）和生育期正常体重组（对照组）。采用ELISA法分析参与者血清中MT2、NKB、铁、铁蛋白及相关生化参数水平。
绝经后超重和肥胖组的NKB、MT2和铁蛋白平均血清浓度较高（p<0.05）。与绝经后对照组相比，生育期对照组的NKB、MT2和雌二醇平均浓度较高，而铁、血红蛋白、葡萄糖、促卵泡激素（FSH）、促黄体生成素（LH）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL）和总胆固醇水平较低（p<0.05）。绝经后超重和肥胖组的体重指数（BMI）与NKB、MT2和铁蛋白浓度之间存在正相关（p<0.05）。
肥胖会使绝经后女性的NKB和MT2浓度升高。绝经后超重或肥胖女性MT2水平的升高可能是铁蛋白和体脂率增加的原因之一。随着BMI升高，绝经后超重或肥胖组的NKB、MT2和铁蛋白浓度升高；因此，降低肥胖患者的MT2水平可能有利于治疗。此外，性腺激素变化会改变血清NKB浓度，绝经后NKB和促性腺激素水平的升高可能会加重血管舒缩症状。
