Elevated FTX Expression in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Correlations With Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia, and...

This study aims to investigate the expression changes of FTX (long noncoding RNA) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its relationship with insulin resistance and lipid metabolism, thereby providing new directions for the diagnosis and treatment of PCOS.

A total of 69 PCOS patients and 74 healthy controls were recruited. The levels of FTX and lipid-regulating genes (Pparg, Pgc1, and Pgc1-α) were quantitatively analyzed using RT-qPCR. Human granulosa cell tumor line KGN was treated with insulin to study the relationship between FTX and insulin. Additionally, FTX expression was altered in KGN cells through transfection to explore its regulatory mechanism on lipid metabolism.

The results indicated that serum FTX levels in PCOS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls, and FTX showed potential diagnostic value for PCOS in this cohort. FTX levels were significantly positively correlated with HOMA-IR, TC, TG, and LDL-C, while negatively correlated with HDL-C. FTX also demonstrated preliminary recognition ability for PCOS patients with HOMA-IR ⩾ 2.5. Furthermore, in vitro experiments revealed that insulin treatment significantly increased FTX levels in KGN cells. FTX overexpression inhibited the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes, while silencing FTX promoted their expression.

FTX is significantly upregulated in patients with PCOS and may serve as a candidate biomarker, although external validation is still required. Additionally, FTX may be involved in PCOS through the regulation of insulin resistance and lipid metabolism.