The activity of platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase and its metabolic profile in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Objective: To investigate the association between plasma platelet activating factor (PAF)-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Methods: A total of 87 patients with PCOS were recruited in this study. Eighty three age-matched women with healthy ovulation served as controls. Plasma PAF-AH activity was measured by the trichloroacetic acid precipitation procedure using [3H-acetyl] PAF as a substrate. Fasting insulin (FINS), estradiol (E2), total testosterone (TT), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined by chemiluminescent method. The metabolic profile was investigated by measuring FINS, fasting glucose (FGLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
Results: The patients with PCOS had higher BMI, WHR, F-G score, serum TT and LH/FSH radio than the controls (P < 0.05). The patients with PCSO had higher serum FINS, HOMA-IR, TG, TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C and atherogenic index (AI), and lower HDL-C level than the controls (P < 0.05). No significant difference in plasma PAF-AH activity was found between the patients with PCOS and the controls (P > 0.05). A progressive increase in FINS, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C and AI, and decrease in HDL-C level were found from non-obese healthy women (BMI < 25 kg/m2) to non-obese patients, and to obese patients (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) with PCOS (P < 0.05). In addition, the obese patients with PCOS had higher BMI, WHR, SBP, DBP than the controls and the non-obese patients with PCOS. But no significant difference in plasma PAF-AH activity was found between the three groups of women (P > 0.05). The plasma PAF-AH activity was positively correlated with AI, non-HDL-C, LDL-C, TC, TG, and WHR, and negatively correlated with HDL-C level (P < 0.05). Non-HDL-C and SBP were predictors for plasma PAF-AH activity in patients with PCOS.
Conclusions: Patients with PCOS have similar total plasma PAF-AH activity as healthy women. Patients with PCOS present more atherogenic metabolic profile, especially in those with obesity.