Systemic relationships of inflammatory, hormonal, and metabolic markers in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is among the most common endocrine disorders observed in women of reproductive age and is characterized by a wide range of clinical manifestations, including ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and metabolic alterations, such as insulin resistance and obesity. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to immune factors and systemic inflammation in pathogenesis of this syndrome. Our objective was to determine the levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, gonadotropins, proinflammatory cytokines, carbohydrate metabolism parameters, and insulin resistance index in women with different clinical phenotypes of PCOS depending on the type of menstrual cycle. The study included 86 women at their reproductive age, being divided into four groups: a control group (women without menstrual cycle disturbances) and three groups of patients with PCOS, stratified by the type of menstrual irregularity: regular cycle, oligomenorrhea, and amenorrhea. All participants underwent evaluation of serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, glucose, insulin, and proinflammatory cytokines including IL-6, TNFα, and IL-17A. Insulin resistance index was also calculated in accordance with a homeostatic model. The findings demonstrated significantly increased levels of all evaluated hormonal and immune parameters in women with PCOS compared to the control group, with the most pronounced changes observed in amenorrheic subgroup. The results of the study confirm a systemic interrelationship between inflammatory, hormonal, and metabolic disturbances in women with PCOS. Proinflammatory cytokines may serve as potential biomarkers of disease severity, and their comprehensive assessment, along with hormonal and metabolic markers may enhance the accuracy of diagnosis and support a more individualized approach to therapy in this patient population.