Is Interleukin-38 Diagnosis Marker for Untreated Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects female of procreation age, it is linked to an imbalance in ovulation and hyperandrogenism, and this imbalance is accompanied by various metabolic abnormalities such as IR and obesity. It thought there are no relationship between IR in women with PCOS and body mass index (BMI), but obesity promotes IR. PCOS estimated at over 200 million women worldwide, the prevalence of PCOS is reported to be 18%, with a specific range of 17.8% ± 2.4. It's worth noting that prevalence estimates can vary based on the population studied, geographic location, and other factors. Prevalence rates without imputation were computed at 11.9%±2.4. Additionally, it was observed that PCOS impacted 28% of obese women and 5% of lean women. Certainly, the latest research revealed that the occurrence rates of PCOS based on the NIH, Rotterdam, and Androgen Excess Society (AE-PCOS) criteria were 6.1%, 19.9%, and 15.3%, respectively. This study included samples of 90 women of reproductive age (20-45 years). They were distributed into two groups, the first group included 45 patients who were diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) through the simultaneous appearance of 3-4 symptoms that are essential for diagnosis. Their ages ranged between 20-33 years old. The second group (the control group) included 45 women who were completely free of symptoms of PCOS, based on clinical and ultrasound examinations. Interleukin-38, was measured in the serum samples of the study individuals. The results of the present study showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in the levels of interleukin-38 in the samples of patients with PCOS comparison to healthy individuals. The study illustrated the sensitivity of interleukin-38 was 96%, while the specificity of interleukin-38 was 100%. The most important conclusion reached by the study is that interleukin-38 is promising tool for differentiating PCOS patients from healthy individuals.