Asprosin, but not subfatin, associated with non-obese polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition characterized by chronic hormonal and metabolic disturbances, commonly presenting with amenorrhea, hirsutism, and multiple ovarian cysts. Asprosin and subfatin are adipokines synthesized by adipose tissue and are associated with metabolic disorders. This study aimed to investigate these adipokines in normal-weight women with PCOS.

A total of 60 normal-weight women were recruited in the study, including 30 diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria and 30 healthy controls. Serum samples were collected on the third day of the menstrual cycle after an overnight fast in the morning. Demographic, metabolic, and hormonal parameters of the participants were subsequently analyzed.

In the PCOS group, levels of homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, insulin, asprosin, total testosterone, and Ferriman-Gallwey score were significantly higher compared with the control group. No significant difference was found in subfatin levels between the groups. Correlation analysis showed positive associations of asprosin with weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, insulin, HOMA-IR, and C-reactive protein (CRP). In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis identified an asprosin cut-off value of 39.25 ng/mL, which yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.760 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.641-0.879], with a sensitivity of 66.7% and a specificity of 73.3% (p = 0.001). Furthermore, binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the plasma asprosin level was significantly correlated with PCOS in a model after controlling for age, BMI, and HOMA-IR [odds ratio (OR): 1.036, 95% CI: 1.000-1.073; p = 0.048], suggesting that asprosin could be an independent risk factor for PCOS.

Asprosin, but not subfatin, was significantly elevated in non-obese women with PCOS. It may serve as a marker of PCOS independent of insulin resistance in normal-weight women.