The effect of weight loss and treatment with metformin on serum
vaspin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
By: Koiou, Ekaterini; Tziomalos, Konstantinos; Dinas, Konstantinos; Katsikis, Ilias; Kalaitzakis, Emmanuil; Delkos, Dimitrios; Kandaraki, Eleni A.; Panidis, Dimitrios
Many patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have insulin resistance, obesity (mostly visceral) and glucose intolerance, conditions assocd. with abnormalities in the prodn. of vaspin, a novel adipokine that appears to preserve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The aim of the study was to assess serum vaspin levels in PCOS and the effects on vaspin levels of metformin or of wt. loss. We studied 79 patients with PCOS and 50 healthy female
volunteers. Normal wt. patients with PCOS (n = 25) were treated with metformin 850 mg bid for 6 mo. Overweight/obese patients with PCOS (n = 54) were prescribed a normal-protein, energy-restricted diet for 6 mo; half of them were also given orlistat 120 mg tid and the rest were given sibutramine 10 mg qd. At baseline and after 6 mo, serum vaspin levels and anthropometric, metabolic and hormonal features of PCOS were detd. Overall, patients with PCOS had higher vaspin levels than controls (p = 0.021). Normal wt. patients with PCOS had higher vaspin levels than normal wt. controls (p = 0.043). Vaspin levels were non-significantly higher in overweight/obese patients with PCOS than in overweight/obese controls. In normal wt. patients with PCOS, metformin reduced vaspin levels non-significantly. In
overweight/obese patients with PCOS, diet plus orlistat or sibutramine did not affect vaspin levels. Vaspin levels were independently correlated with body mass index in women with PCOS (p = 0.001) and with waist circumference in controls (p = 0.015). In conclusion, serum vaspin levels are elevated in PCOS but neither a small wt. loss nor metformin affect vaspin levels significantly.
