Assessment of insulin resistance in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objectives: To determine whether serum levels of potential markers could detect insulin resistance (IR) in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Serum levels of fasting glucose, insulin, intact proinsulin, resistin, and adiponectin were measured in 50 women with PCOS and known homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-IR values (>= 2 indicating IR). The women were all younger than 25 years. Results: Of the 50 women, 49 had undetectable levels of resistin, 50 had intact proinsulin levels within the normal range, and 50 had adiponectin levels of 8.4 +/- 3.3 mg/L, just below the normal range. When groups were compared, however, the 26 women (52%) with IR (HOMA-IR values >= 2) had significantly higher intact proinsulin levels (3.2 +/- 2.0 pmol/L vs 1.8 +/- 1.0 pmol/L; P<0.005) and significantly lower adiponectin levels (7.2 +/- 2.9 mg/L vs 9.7 +/- 3.3 mg/L; P<0.01), than the 24 women (48%) without IR. Conclusion: Serum levels of intact proinsulin, resistin, or adiponectin were not detectors of IR in individual young women with PCOS. (C) 2008 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.