Serum Irisin Levels and its Association with Blood Glucose and Insulin Indices in Diagnosing Insulin Resistance in Adolescents with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

CONTEXT: Irisin, a new myokine, has been found to be a biological marker of insulin resistance (IR). There is conflicting evidence on serum irisin level in adult women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and data are lacking in adolescents with PCOS. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate serum Irisin levels and study its association with indices using blood glucose and insulin levels in adolescents with PCOS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This case–control study was conducted in the gynecology outpatient department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out from August 2015 to June 2017. Eighty-two adolescent girls aged 15–19 years were included in the study. Fasting irisin, insulin,blood glucose; 2nd-h insulin (HOMA2-IR), and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) for all participants with addition of 2(nd)-h blood glucose for cases. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: A correlation between serum irisin level and various biochemical parameters was done using Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Fasting serum irisin was significantly higher among PCOS cases (8.43 [5.84, 13.11]) when compared to controls 4.90 (2.37, 9.09), median (interquartile range) (P = 0.002). Serum irisin was found to have a significant moderate positive correlation with 2(nd)-h blood glucose, fasting/2(nd)-h insulin, and HOMA2-IR. A significant moderate negative correlation was observed between irisin and QUICKI. CONCLUSIONS: Serum irisin levels were significantly elevated in adolescents with PCOS when compared to the controls. A significant correlation of serum irisin with blood glucose and insulin indices indicates that serum irisin could serve as a marker of IR and may help in its diagnosis in adolescents with PCOS.