Plasma somatostatin and insulin like growth factor-1 levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To estimate plasma somatostatin and insulin like growth factor-1levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, and to compare it with healthy controls. METHODS The cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, Pakistan, from December 2016 to January 2018, and comprised patients of polycystic ovary syndrome selected from tertiary care hospitals of the city. A group of apparently healthy women was also raised from the local community to work as controls. Anthropometric measurements, general physical examination and fasting blood glucose levels were determined for each subject. Plasma insulin, somatostatin and insulin like growth factor-1levels were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data was collected using a predesigned questionnaire and was analysed using SPSS 20. RESULTS Of the 80 subjects, 40(50%) were cases with a mean age of 22.63±4.47 years, and 40(50%) were controls with a mean age of 22.78±4.85 years (p>0.05). The cases had higher fasting blood glucose, insulin and insulin like growth factor-1levels (p<0.05) compared to the controls. CONCLUSIONS Insulin resistance and lower somatostatin levels along with higher insulin like growth factor-1 levels were found in women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared to healthy women.