The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aboeldalyl, Shaimaa; James, Cathryn; Seyam, Emaduldin; Ibrahim, Emad Moussa; Shawki, Hossam El-Din; Amer, Saad

Abstract

Although the current literature associates polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with chronic inflammation, the evidence for this link remains inconclusive and its causal nature remains unclear. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the inflammatory status in PCOS women and to determine whether it is related to PCOS or to its associated adiposity. We searched electronic databases including PUBMED, EMBASE and MEDLINE, SCOPUS, DynaMed plus, TRIP, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library, for studies investigating C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory makers in PCOS women versus healthy controls. Quality and risk of bias for selected studies were assessed using the modified Newcastle–Ottawa scale. CRP data were extracted and pooled using RevMan for calculation of the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Eighty-five eligible studies were included in the systematic review, of which 63 were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis of the 63 studies revealed significantly higher circulating CRP in PCOS women (n = 4086) versus controls (n = 3120) (SMD 1.26, 95%CI, 0.99, 1.53). Sensitivity meta-analysis of 35 high quality studies including non-obese women showed significantly higher circulating CRP in PCOS women versus controls (SMD 1.80, 95%CI, 1.36, 2.25). In conclusion, circulating CRP is moderately elevated in PCOS women independent of obesity, which is indicative of low-grade chronic inflammation.

Citation

Aboeldalyl, S., James, C., Seyam, E., Ibrahim, E. M., Shawki, H. E.-D., & Amer, S. (2021). The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(5), Article 2734. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052734

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 4, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 8, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 8, 2021
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 16, 2021
• Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Print ISSN: 1661-6596
• Electronic ISSN: 1422-0067
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 5
• Article Number: 2734
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052734
• Keywords: polycystic ovarian syndrome; chronic inflammation; inflammatory markers; C-reactive protein; insulin resistance; obesity
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5394403
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/5/2734