AUTHOR=Gao Yiming , Xin Caihong , Fan Huaying , Sun Xin , Wang Hongli 

TITLE=Circulating apelin and chemerin levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A meta-analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2022.1076951

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2022.1076951

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common gynecological endocrine disorders. Apelin and chemerin are newly identified adipokines, which are higher in obesity and diabetes. Studies have found that the serum apelin and chemerin levels in patients with PCOS are significantly increased. However, other studies showed the opposite results. Therefore, the relationship between those two adipokines and PCOS is still controversial. 
Aim: This meta-analysis was conducted to statistically evaluate the apelin and chemerin levels of patients with PCOS. 
Methods: A literature research was conducted using Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The following search terms were used for the title or abstract: “Polycystic ovary syndrome” or “PCOS” in combination with the terms “apelin” or “chemerin. The results of the systematic analysis are presented as standardized mean differences (SMD) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results: In total, 18 articles were included in this meta-analysis, involving 1,265 cases and 894 controls. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the circulating chemerin levels in patients with PCOS were significantly higher than those in the controls (SMD: 0.79, 95% CI [0.36, 1.23]), and there was no significant difference in circulating apelin between patients with PCOS and controls (SMD: 0.57, 95% CI [-0.21, 1.35]). 
Conclusions: This meta-analysis is the first to evaluate circulating apelin and chemerin levels in patients with PCOS. Our findings suggest that circulating chemerin levels of patients with PCOS are significantly higher than those of healthy controls.