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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Mar 8;22(5):2734.
doi: 10.3390/ijms22052734.

The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Shaimaa Aboeldalyl  1   2 , Cathryn James  3 , Emaduldin Seyam  2 , Emad Moussa Ibrahim  2 , Hossam El-Din Shawki  2 , Saad Amer  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Shaimaa Aboeldalyl et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Although the current literature associates polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with chronic inflammation, the evidence for this link remains inconclusive and its causal nature remains unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the inflammatory status in PCOS women and to determine whether it is related to PCOS or to its associated adiposity. We searched electronic databases including PUBMED, EMBASE and MEDLINE, SCOPUS, DynaMed plus, TRIP, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library, for studies investigating C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory makers in PCOS women versus healthy controls. Quality and risk of bias for selected studies were assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale. CRP data were extracted and pooled using RevMan for calculation of the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Eighty-five eligible studies were included in the systematic review, of which 63 were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis of the 63 studies revealed significantly higher circulating CRP in PCOS women (n = 4086) versus controls (n = 3120) (SMD 1.26, 95%CI, 0.99, 1.53). Sensitivity meta-analysis of 35 high quality studies including non-obese women showed significantly higher circulating CRP in PCOS women versus controls (SMD 1.80, 95%CI, 1.36, 2.25). In conclusion, circulating CRP is moderately elevated in PCOS women independent of obesity, which is indicative of low-grade chronic inflammation.

Keywords: C-reactive protein; chronic inflammation; inflammatory markers; insulin resistance; obesity; polycystic ovarian syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA Flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Overall CRP pooled analysis of 63 studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
CRP sensitivity analysis of 35 high quality studies including non-obese women.
Figure 4
Figure 4
CRP subgroup analysis of 7 studies including obese women.
Figure 5
Figure 5
IL-6 metanalysis of 9 studies.
Figure 6
Figure 6
TNF-α metanalysis of 9 studies.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Adiponectin metanalysis of 4 studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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