Serum total l-carnitine levels in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

• Published in: Human reproduction (Oxford) Vol. 23; no. 7; pp. 1602 - 1606
• Main Authors: Fenkci, Semin Melahat, Fenkci, Veysel, Oztekin, Ozer, Rota, Simin, Karagenc, Nedim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.07.2008; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - metabolism; carnitine; Carnitine - blood; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate - blood; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; glucose metabolism; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; hyperandrogenism; Insulin - blood; insulin resistance; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Medical sciences; PCOS; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - blood; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin - analysis; Testosterone - blood; carnitine; PCOS; hyperandrogenism; insulin resistance; glucose metabolism; Endocrinopathy; Glucose; Polycystic ovary; Cyst; Female; Hyperandrogenism; Serum; Benign neoplasm; Nutritional status; Human; Obesity; Nutrition disorder; Metabolic diseases; Female sterility; Metabolism; Female genital diseases; Carnitine; Ovarian diseases; Target tissue resistance; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Aminoacid; Insulin resistance
• ISSN: 0268-1161; 1460-2350
• DOI: 10.1093/humrep/den109

BACKGROUND Carnitine plays essential roles in energy production, oxidative stress and glucose metabolism. This study was planned to determine serum total l-carnitine levels in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS There were 27 non-obese women with PCOS and 30 healthy, age- and body mass index (BMI) matched controls were evaluated in this controlled clinical study. Serum lipid sub-fractions, fasting glucose, insulin and other hormones (gonadotrophins, androgens) and total l-carnitine levels were measured. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) was used to estimate insulin resistance. RESULTS The women with PCOS had significantly higher serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, total testosterone, free androgen index (FAI), luteinizing hormone (LH), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR measurement and LH/FSH ratios than healthy women. However, total l-carnitine and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were significantly lower in women with PCOS. l-Carnitine level was negatively correlated with FAI, but positively correlated with SHBG. Multiple regression analysis revealed that SHBG was a strong predictor of serum total l-carnitine level. CONCLUSIONS Decreased total l-carnitine levels may be associated with hyperandrogenism and/or insulin resistance in non-obese women with PCOS. Long-term studies are needed to evaluate carnitine metabolism in PCOS, especially with regard to the molecular basis.