Association between inflammatory biomarker serum procalcitonin and obesity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a potential biomarker of obesity-related, low-grade inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We aimed to investigate whether serum procalcitonin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome and with obesity. A case–control study included 107 women with PCOS and 93 healthy controls, they were then stratified according to their body mass index (BMI) into three subgroups; lean, overweight and obese. Serum PCT levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. PCOS patients had significantly higher levels of serum PCT, hs-CRP, WBC, and neutrophil counts than healthy women. In control and PCOS groups, serum PCT, hs-CRP levels, WBC, and neutrophil counts were significantly increased in overweight and obese women compared with lean subjects. Serum PCT levels were positively correlated with BMI, waist/hip ratio, total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, LH/FSH, hs-CRP values, WBC and neutrophil counts in PCOS women. We also observed that the increasing obesity was accompanied by a significant increase in the mean values of serum PCT and neutrophil counts in PCOS patients. We conclude that serum PCT is a novel biomarker for low-grade chronic inflammation in PCOS patients, especially in obese women. Thus, PCT is a promising useful marker for accurate diagnosis of the inflammatory activity of body fat and of PCOS.