Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jul 11;12(14):4610.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12144610.

Elevated Serum Concentration of Adipocyte Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Correlates with the Markers of Abdominal Obesity Independently of Thyroid Hormones in Non-Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Aleksandra Maria Polak  1 , Agnieszka Łebkowska  2 , Anna Krentowska  2 , Angelika Buczyńska  3 , Marcin Adamski  4 , Adam Jacek Krętowski  1   3 , Irina Kowalska  2 , Agnieszka Adamska  1
Affiliations

Elevated Serum Concentration of Adipocyte Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Correlates with the Markers of Abdominal Obesity Independently of Thyroid Hormones in Non-Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Aleksandra Maria Polak et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is mainly expressed in adipocytes. The risk of abdominal obesity and autoimmune thyroid disease is increased in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The objective of this study was to explore the relationship of serum concentration of A-FABP with parameters of obesity, e.g., waist to hip ratio (WHR) and the amount of adipose tissue assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and thyroid hormone homeostasis in women with PCOS. We examined 66 women with PCOS and 67 healthy women. Serum concentrations of A-FABP and thyroid hormones were measured; the FT3/FT4 ratio, thyroid-stimulating hormone index (TSHI), thyrotrope thyroxine resistance index (TT4RI) and thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI) were calculated. In the PCOS group, serum concentrations of A-FABP, FT3 and the FT3/FT4 ratio were significantly higher in comparison to the control group (all p < 0.05). A correlation of A-FABP with WHR (r = 0.26, p = 0.04) and the percentage of adipose tissue (r = 0.33, p = 0.01) has been found only in women with PCOS. We observed no correlation between serum levels of A-FABP and TSHI, TT4RI or TFQI in women with PCOS (all p > 0.05). Our results indicate that A-FABP is an adipokine that may be connected with abdominal obesity independently of thyroid hormone homeostasis in PCOS patients.

Keywords: A-FABP; PCOS; obesity; thyroid hormones.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Escobar-Morreale H.F. Polycystic ovary syndrome: Definition, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. 2018;14:270–284. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2018.24. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Legro R.S., Arslanian S.A., Ehrmann D.A., Hoeger K.M., Murad M.H., Pasquali R., Welt C.K. Diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2013;98:4565–4592. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-2350. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Teede H.J., Hutchison S., Zoungas S., Meyer C. Insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease risk in women with PCOS. Endocrine. 2006;30:45–53. doi: 10.1385/ENDO:30:1:45. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Azziz R., Woods K.S., Reyna R., Key T.J., Knochenhauer E.S., Yildiz B.O. The prevalence and features of the polycystic ovary syndrome in an unselected population. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2004;89:2745–2749. doi: 10.1210/jc.2003-032046. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kralisch S., Fasshauer M. Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein: A novel adipokine involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic and vascular disease? Diabetologia. 2013;56:10–21. doi: 10.1007/s00125-012-2737-4. - DOI - PubMed