Fractalkine: an inflammatory chemokine elevated in subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome

• Published in: Endocrine Vol. 65; no. 1; pp. 175 - 183
• Main Authors: Demi̇r, İsmail, Guler, Aslı, Alarslan, Pınar, Isil, Ahmet Murat, Ucman, Ozge, Aslanipour, Behnaz, Calan, Mehmet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.07.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Androgens; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Chemokine CX3CL1 - blood; Chemokines; Diabetes; Endocrinology; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Female; Fractalkine; Glucose metabolism; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hyperandrogenism - blood; Hyperandrogenism - complications; Inflammation; Inflammation - blood; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation Mediators - blood; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Menstrual cycle; Metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Original Article; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - blood; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - complications; Progesterone; Reproductive system; Science; Sex hormone-binding protein; Sex hormones; Steroidogenesis; Testosterone; Testosterone - blood; Up-Regulation; Young Adult; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Body mass index; Insulin resistance; Hyperandrogenism; Fractalkine; Inflammation
• ISSN: 1355-008X; 1559-0100; 1559-0100
• DOI: 10.1007/s12020-019-01972-3

Purpose Fractalkine (FKN) is an inflammatory chemokine related to reproductive system and glucose metabolism. There is a link between FKN and steroidogenesis as FKN induces progesterone synthesis. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive and metabolic disorder associated with low progesterone production and insulin resistance. We aimed to explore whether women with PCOS have any difference in FKN levels compared to women without PCOS. We also focused on determination of any association between FKN levels and hormonal-metabolic parameters in women with PCOS. Methods The current research was designed as a case–control study. Eighty subjects with PCOS and 80 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched subjects with normal menstrual cycle were taken into the study. We measured circulating FKN levels via ELISA methods. Results Circulating FKN levels were higher in women with PCOS than controls (1.93 ± 0.61 vs. 1.22 ± 0.33 ng/ml, P <  0.001). FKN levels showed a positive correlation with body mass index (BMI), insulin resistance, inflammatory marker hs-CRP, total testosterone, and free-androgen index (FAI), whereas it showed a negative correlation with sex hormone-binding protein in women with PCOS. Linear regression analyses revealed that the link of FKN with BMI, insulin resistance, hs-CRP, and FAI was independent. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of having PCOS was associated with high levels of FKN. Conclusions Increased FKN levels related to insulin resistance, inflammation and androgens in women with PCOS. FKN may have an inter-related role in different pathophysiologic pathways of PCOS.