Serum Levels of Retinol-Binding Protein 4 and Adiponectin in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Associations with Visceral Fat but No Evidence for Fat Mass-Independent Effects on Pathogenesis in This Condition

In a 2008 study involving 50 women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and 28 control women, researchers found that adiponectin levels were lower in women with PCOS, but this difference was not significant after adjusting for fat mass and age. There were no significant differences in serum levels of Retinol-Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) between the two groups. The study also noted that while serum RBP4 and adiponectin levels were associated with visceral fat, they did not play a significant fat-mass-independent role in the development of PCOS. Additionally, PCOS cases were more insulin resistant than matched controls, and serum RBP4 levels correlated with metabolic status indicators. The researchers concluded that there is no intrinsic, obesity-independent association between serum adiponectin levels and PCOS, and no differences in RBP4 levels between PCOS cases and controls, suggesting that neither adipokine has an important role in the development of fat mass-independent insulin resistance in women with PCOS.