This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
DPP-IV levels higher in women with PCOS
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome demonstrated elevated serum DPP-IV levels and activity compared with women without the syndrome, according to researchers in Germany.
“PCOS is described as a complex disease that involves a polygenic multifactorial model and candidate genes that are involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of androgens, folliculogenesis, insulin and glucose metabolism. Many genes with functional involvement in obesity and glucose homeostasis have been examined, but no association with PCOS etiology has been identified,” Hermann M. Behre, MD, professor at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Martin Luther University Hall-Wittenberg in Germany, and colleagues wrote. “DPP-IV is a key player in glucose homeostasis and in the regulation of insulin secretion.”
The researchers evaluated DPP-IV activity and concentrations using serum samples from 288 women who underwent treatment for infertility between 2010 and 2013. All women were treated at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, and 134 had PCOS. All blood samples were taken between 8 a.m. and noon, without any patient fasting.
Women with PCOS had higher levels of DPP-IV serum activity compared with those without PCOS, the researchers reported, with a mean 518.8 nmol/(l*s) vs. 481 nmol/(l*s) in the non-PCOS group (P < .0001). Behre and colleagues wrote that patients with PCOS also had higher median DPP-IV concentrations (551.1 ng/mL vs. 487.4 ng/mL; P = .082). There was, however, a strong association between DPP-IV levels and serum levels of anti-Mullerian hormone.
The researchers reported that in vitro, DPP-IV promoter was stimulated by androgens in luciferase reporter assays. Patients who underwent androgen treatment showed increased DPP-IV mRNA expression in KGN granulosa carcinoma cells.
“Our study showed that the DPP-IV serum activity and concentrations are increased in women with PCOS, regardless of the Rotterdam criteria used to establish a PCOS diagnosis,” the researchers wrote. “Furthermore, the DPP-IV serum activity was strongly correlated with the [anti-Mullerian hormone] serum level, which is a marker for polycystic ovaries. The results suggested that combined analysis of DPP-IV and [anti-Mullerian hormone] serum levels may enhance the possibility of a molecular PCOS diagnosis technique. Further studies of DPP-IV as a link between metabolism and reproductive restriction in women with PCOS are necessary.” – by Andy Polhamus
Disclosures : The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.