Relation between C-reactive protein and body mass index in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women. These patients share common features like obesity with metabolic syndrome. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a low-grade chronic inflammation biomarker that independently predicts high-risk patients for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Although many studies showed increased plasma CRP levels in patients with PCOS, there is still less evidence that can link obesity and CRP levels in patients with PCOS. The objective of this study was to investigate the relations between body mass index (BMI) and CRP plasma levels in patients with PCOS.

Forty patients with PCOS and 30 controls matched by age and BMI were included. Blood sample was obtained from all individuals in early follicular phase of menstrual cycle. CRP, fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), blood pressure, waist circumference (WC) and BMI was measured for all subjects.

CRP and TG levels were higher in patients with PCOS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011, respectively). CRP level increased significantly only in patients with PCOS with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) (p = 0.001) but was not significant in patients with PCOS with BMI < 25 kg/m(2) (p = 0.067). In further analysis, BMI and WC affect CRP rising in patients with PCOS (p = 0.001).

In patients with PCOS, serum CRP levels were higher than age and BMI-matched controls. Furthermore, BMI was strongly related to CRP only in overweight patients with PCOS.