Irisin as a Novel Marker for Insulin Resistance in Iraqi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Before and After Metformin Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects 5-10% of women; it represents the most common cause of hyperinsulinemia with anovulation. Many biomarkers are used to assess insulin resistance. Irisin is a newly discovered myokine associated with insulin resistance and other metabolic syndromes.
OBJECTIVE: To measure the serum level of irisin in polycystic ovary syndrome patients and assess the effect of metformin treatment on its level.
METHOD: This study was a prospective interventional study conducted in a private clinic and Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad City from January 1, 2017, till April 1, 2018. A hundred women were enrolled in the study. Fifty of them suffered from PCOS and other fifty were normal. They were randomly selected according to computer-based randomization and assigned as a control group. Hormonal, biochemical and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on all patients, including Irisin. The results have been compared for both groups. Twenty-nine women of PCOS patients received metformin for a course period of 4 months as the changes in their biochemical results were evaluated. RESULT: Serum irisin level was higher in patients group compared to control group (312 ± 134.3 and 188.4 ± 53.8 μg/l, respectively), and the difference was statistically significant as the p value < 0.001. After 4 months treatment with metformin for twenty-nine polycystic patients, there was a significant reduction in irisin level by (165.8 ± 55.6 μg/l) and the p value was significant.
CONCLUSION: Irisin might be used as a simple test for the prediction of insulin resistance in PCOS patients. © Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India 2018.