Association between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Elevated Serum Periostin Levels

Abstract

olycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy affecting reproductive aged women. PCOS is a complex disease with reproductive, metabolic and psychological features. Infertility is a prevalent presenting feature of PCOS with ~75% of these women suffering infertility due to anovulation, making PCOS by far the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. The diagnosis of PCOS in women is usually done according to the ESRHE/ASRM criteria known as Rotterdam criteria, which is based on having at least two of three characteristics of oligo-ovulation/anovulation, hyperandrogenism and polycyclic ovaries using ultrasonographic images. Periostin is a 90-kilodalton secretory protein originally identified as an osteoblast-specific factor that is preferentially expressed in the periosteum and functions as a cell adhesion molecule. The aim of the present study was to to assess the periostin levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome to measure the ability of this factor for diagnosis of PCOS.