Is there association between vitamin D levels, apelin 36, and visfatin in PCOS?

AIM: We aimed to evaluate vitamin D, apelin-36, and visfatin levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was completed in six months, including a total of 110 patients who were admitted to the obstetrics and gynecology polyclinic. Patients with a diagnosis of PCOS were divided into two subgroups according to their vitamin D levels. Thirty-four patients had <10 ng/ml of vitamin D deficiency and 21 patients had 10-30 ng/ml of vitamin D insufficiency, with each being defined as a subgroup. RESULTS: Average apelin-36 and visfatin levels in PCOS patients were 2.52 ± 0.68 nmol/L and 72.63 ± 22:31 ng/ml, in the control group they were 0.92 ± 0.33 nmol/L, 24.66 ± 6 ng/ml, respectively. The difference found in PCOS patients was statistically significant (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the present study shows that in PCOS patients with low levels of vitamin D, insulin resistance is greater and apelin-36 serum levels were significantly higher. Although there are different opinions in the literature on this subject, we believe that when vitamin D levels are brought to an optimal level in PCOS patient, it can prevent the negative effects of adipokines in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Retinol-binding protein-4 and hs-CRP levels in patients with migraine.

Retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP4) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels are associated with inflammation in patients with migraine. The release of proinflammatory cytokines during migraine results in recurrent sterile neurogenic inflammation. This study aimed to determine the correlation between RBP4 and hs-CRP levels, and migraine, which is considered an inflammatory disease. The study included 48 migraine patients and 40 age- and gender-matched controls. Migraine was diagnosed according to International Classification of Headache Disorders-II. The serum RBP4 level was measured using a commercial ELISA kit and hs-CRP was measured using an enzyme immunoassay test kit. The serum RBP4 level was significantly lower in the migraine patients than in the controls (P < 0.001), whereas the hs-CRP level was significantly higher in the migraine patients (P < 0.001). RBP4 and hs-CRP levels did not differ between the migraine patients with and without aura (P > 0.05). Migraine headache severity, frequency and duration were not correlated with serum RBP or hs-CRP levels (P > 0.05). The observed high hs-CRP level and low RBP4 level in migraine patients suggest that vitamin A might play a major role in the pathogenesis of migraine. It is known that inflammation is a key factor in many diseases. Additional research might result in a better understanding of the anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin A.