Relationship between interleukin-6 levels and ambulatory blood pressure in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

ObjectiveTo determine 24-hour ambulatory blood pressures (ABP) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its relationship with interleukin-6 (IL-6).DesignProspective controlled study.SettingUniversity hospital.Patient(s)Fifty-four PCOS patients.Intervention(s)Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was conducted. Anthropometric, hormonal, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters, including plasma IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and nitric oxide (NO), were measured in each subject.Main Outcome Measure(s)Ambulatory blood pressure and plasma IL-6, CRP, fibrinogen, and NO.Result(s)Serum IL-6 levels of PCOS women in the highest systolic blood pressure (SBP) quartile were significantly higher than those of women in the lowest SBP quartile. The high serum IL-6 levels (serum IL-6 level ≥5.1 pg/mL) were associated with a higher probability of raised SBP (≥126 mm Hg), with an odds ratio of 2.2 (95% confidence interval 0.8–7.9). The systolic and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were significantly related to serum IL-6 levels. The IL-6 levels were positively and significantly correlated with serum CRP levels. Interleukin-6 and CRP were negatively and significantly correlated with serum NO levels.Conlusion(s)The results suggest that raised plasma IL-6 levels may be related to ambulatory SBP and DBP in PCOS.