Correlation between tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nuclear factor-κB and related indicators on glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Objective To explore the correlation between the serum inflammatory markers of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) and related indicators on glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods Eighty patients with PCOS were selected in the observe group, and 80 infertile patients without PCOS were collected in control group. The patients were subdivided to 4 groups according to body mass index (BMI) levels, including the obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2) patients with PCOS (group A, n=40), the non-obese (BMI<25 kg/m2) patients with PCOS (group B, n=40), the obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2) patients without PCOS (group C, n=40), and the non-obese (BMI<25 kg/m2) patients without PCOS (group D, n=40). The serum samples were collected from all the patients for detecting TNF-α, NF-κB and related indicators on glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism. The parameters were analyzed and compared among the four groups by using two independent samples t-test and Spearman correlation analysis. Results The indexes of homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fasting insulin (FIN) in group A were signifcantly higher than those in group B (P were 0.022 and 0.036, respectively), group C (P were 0.014 and 0.029, respectively) and group D (P were 0.007 and 0.021, respectively), while they were signifcantly higher in group B than those in group C (P were 0.041 and 0.033, respectively), and group D (P were 0.030 and 0.017, respectively). Serum total cholesterol level (TC) in group A was higher than that in group D (P=0.023). The indexes of triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in group A were higher than those in group B (P were 0.044 and 0.023, respectively), group C (P were 0.021 and 0.018, respectively) and group D (P were 0.014 and 0.003, respectively), while they were higher in group B than those in group D (P were 0.032 and 0.026, respectively). Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level in group A was lower than that in group D (P=0.001). Serum NF-κB level [(655.59±273.41) IU/L] in group A was higher than that in group B [(502.84±165.48) IU/L] (P=0.034), group C [(352.10±132.45) IU/L] (P=0.019) and group D [(319.62±112.57) IU/L] (P=0.005), while it was higher in group B than in group C (P=0.039) and group D (P=0.031). Serum TNF-α level [(86.18±18.32) ng/L] in group A was higher than that in group B [(66.86±22.71) ng/L] (P=0.042), group C [(58.40±17.90) ng/L] (P=0.029) and group D [(54.67±22.34) ng/L] (P=0.013), while it was higher in group B than in group D (P=0.038). The indexes of NF-κB and TNF-α were related to BMI, FIN, HOMA-IR, TG, LDL-C in patients with PCOS (P<0.05), NF-κB was also associated with TNF-α. Conclusion TNF-α may interact with NF-κB to participate in the occurrence and development of glucose and lipid metabolism disorder of PCOS. It may provide a new clinical thinking for the clinical treatment of PCOS. Key words: Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB); Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α); Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); Chronic inflammation