Research Article Details
Article ID: | A14946 |
PMID: | 29161258 |
Source: | PLoS One |
Title: | Insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism drive steatosis and fibrosis risk in young females with PCOS. |
Abstract: | BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) recognize obesity and insulin resistance (IR) as common pathogenic background. We assessed 1) whether PCOS is a risk factor for steatosis, and 2) the impact, in PCOS patients, of IR and hyperandrogenism on steatosis and fibrosis. METHODS: We considered 202 consecutive Italian PCOS nondiabetic patients and 101 age-matched controls. PCOS was diagnosed applying the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria. Steatosis was diagnosed if hepatic steatosis index (HSI) >36, while fibrosis by using the FIB-4 score. As surrogate estimate of insulin sensitivity we considered the insulin sensitivity index (ISI). Free androgen index (FAI) was calculated as estimate of biochemical hyperandrogenism. RESULTS: In the entire population, steatosis was observed in 68.8% of patients with PCOS, compared to 33.3 of controls (p<0.001), this association being maintained after adjusting for metabolic confounders (OR 3.73, 95% CI 1.74-8.02; P = 0.001). In PCOS patients, steatosis was independently linked to WC (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08; P = 0.006) and ISI Matsuda (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53-0.88; P = 0.004), not to free androgen index (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.96-1.26; P = 0.14). Notably, ISI Matsuda was confirmed as independently associated with steatosis in both obese (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.23-0.77, P = 0.005) and nonobese (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.53-0.91, P = 0.009), patients, while FAI (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.12-1.87; P = 0.004) emerged as an independent risk factor only in nonobese PCOS. Similarly, higher FIB-4 was independently associated with higher FAI (p = 0.02) in nonobese and with lower ISI Matsuda (p = 0.04) in obese patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found that PCOS is an independent risk factor for steatosis, and that, IR and hyperandrogenism, this last especially in nonobese patients, are the key players of liver damage in PCOS. |
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0186136 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
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S01 | Improve insulin resistance | insulin sensitizer; insulin resistance; glucose tolerance | Biguanide: increases 5-AMP activated protein kinase signaling; SGLT-2 inhibitor; Thiazalidinedione: selective PPAR-γ agonists; GLP-1 agonist | Metformin; Empagliflozin; Canagliflozin; Rosiglitazone; Pioglitazone; Liraglutide | Details |
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
Target ID | Target Name | GENE | Action | Class | UniProtKB ID | Entry Name |
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Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |