Overexpression of the phosphoprotein enriched in diabetes gene product (Ped/pea-15) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) Vol. 67; no. 4; pp. 557 - 562
• Main Authors: Savastano, Silvia, Orio Jr, Francesco, Palomba, Stefano, Cascella, Teresa, Manguso, Francesco, Lupoli, Gelsy Arianna, Formisano, Pietro, Lombardi, Gaetano, Colao, Annamaria, Beguinot, Francesco, Valentino, Rossella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2007; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blotting, Western - methods; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; Female genital diseases; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - analysis; Medical sciences; Multivariate Analysis; Non tumoral diseases; Obesity - blood; Phosphoproteins - analysis; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - blood; Testosterone - blood; Vertebrates: endocrinology; Endocrinopathy; Human; Gene product; Diabetes mellitus; Gene overexpression; Female sterility; Polycystic ovary; Pea; Female genital diseases; Ovarian diseases; Phosphoproteins; Cyst; Adult; Female; Benign neoplasm; Woman; Endocrinology
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02924.x

Summary Objective  To evaluate Ped/pea‐15 (phosphoprotein enriched in diabetes) expression in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women. Design and patients  Thirty PCOS women were studied and compared with other 30 age‐ and body mass index (BMI)‐matched women, considered as the control group. Both patients and controls were divided according to BMI. All subjects underwent endocrine and metabolic investigation and Ped/pea‐15 expression was evaluated by western blot analysis. Insulin resistance was assessed by HOMA model and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) composite. Results  Insulin resistance, evaluated by HOMA‐R and ISI composite, was significantly higher in PCOS women and in obese controls than in normal weight controls. Ped/pea‐15 expression (%) was higher in PCOS women than in controls (440·4 ± 220·7 vs. 163·0 ± 45·5; P < 0·001; range 145·5–987% and 97–281%, respectively), and was positively correlated with insulin, BMI, total testosterone, HOMA index, and family history (P < 0·001). In patients with PCOS univariate analysis of variance showed no effect of BMI variation (P = 0·13) on Ped/pea‐15 expression levels. On multiple linear regression analysis, the major determinants of Ped/pea‐15 overexpression were family history, insulin, and PCOS status independent of BMI. Conclusion  These preliminary data (1) highlight the overexpression of Ped/pea‐15 in PCOS compared to normal controls, independent of obesity; (2) suggest that Ped/pea‐15 overexpression might be an early component of the metabolic syndrome in PCOS; and (3) support the hypothesis that Ped/pea‐15 represents a possible useful tool to assess the presence of a genetic condition associated with insulin resistance in PCOS.