OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between different Chinese medicine syndrome types and endocrine metabolism of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

METHODS223 PCOS patients were recruited. Of tem, 109 patients were classified as Pi deficiency type (PDT), 56 as Gan deficiency type (GDT), and 58 as Shen deficiency type (SDT). And twenty healthy females of the same age ranges were enrolled as the control group. The body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio (WHR) were measured. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), fasting blood sugar (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)], and leptin were detected. The intergroup difference of each index was compared.

RESULTSHigher results of leptin, FINS, HOMA-IRI, T, LH/FSH ratio were obtained in the three PCOS groups than in the control group, while the level of SHBG was lower in the three PCOS groups than in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was no statistical difference in the leptin level among the three PCOS groups. Higher levels of FINS and HOMA-IRI were shown in the PDT group than in the SDT group and the GDT group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Higher T and LH/FSH were shown in the SDT group than in the PDT group and the GDT group (P<0.05). Higher PRL levels were obtained in the GDT group than in the PDT group and the SDT group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONDisorders of serum leptin and SHBG were the common pathological manifestations in different syndrome types of PCOS, while different syndrome types had specific endocrine metabolic features.