Association of serum glypican-4 levels with cardiovascular risk predictors in women with polycystic ovary syndrome - a pilot study

Objective: Glypican-4 (Gpc4) is an adipokine which interacts with the insulin receptor and affects insulin sensitivity in proteoglycans. Insulin resistance plays a crucial role in the etiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is associated with metabolic disturbances such as abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes. Thus, higher levels of Gpc4 released from visceral adipose tissue in women with PCOS may suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Design: The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether the serum Gpc4 level is associated with cardiovascular risk predictors in women with PCOS. Methods: Sixty-two women with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria (20-35 years old) and 43 healthy controls were studied. Cardiovascular risk predictors such as obesity indices, fat deposits according to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, biochemical lipid profile parameters and Homeostasis Model Assessment were estimated. Results: The serum Gpc4 level in PCOS women was significantly higher (2.61 +/- 1.17 ng/ml) than in the control group (1.55 +/- 0.47 ng/ml) and correlated with waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, total fat and android fat deposit to gynoid fat deposit ratio only in the PCOS group. Conclusion: The Gpc4 level was higher in the PCOS group and correlated with CVD risk predictors, especially fat distribution.