A Study of Serum Soluble CD 163 Levels in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

The aim of this study was to determine serum soluble CD163 levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and its relation to clinical and metabolic parameters. Eighty-four women aged 18-45 years, 43 with polycystic ovary syndrome and 41 controls were recruited in this case-control study. Serum sCD163 levels of the groups were compared. Other metabolic, hormonal, and clinical parameters including, body mass index, HOMA-IR, highly sensitive C- reactive protein, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, lipids, luteinizing hormone, and total testosterone and waist/hip circumference were also investigated. Patients were further subgrouped according to body mass index and sCD163 levels were investigated in obese and normal weight subjects. We performed a multiple regression analysis to investigate the independent predictors affecting soluble CD163 levels. Significantly higher soluble CD163 levels were found in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (2.11±0.65 ng/ml vs. 1.69±0.85 ng/ml, p=0.012). We detected positive correlations of sCD163 with total testosterone, total cholesterol, and luteinizing hormone (r=0.330, p=0.002, r=0.356, p<0.001 and r=0.239, p=0.030, respectively). In the multiple linear regression analysis, total testosterone was the variable associated with the elevation of serum soluble CD163 levels. Soluble CD163, which is identified as a marker of inflammation and type II diabetes, is elevated in polycystic ovary syndrome. Elevated sCD163 levels were found to be associated with total testosterone. Further studies to elucidate the exact mechanism underlying the elevation of serum soluble CD163 in polycystic ovary syndrome are needed.