Variation in Resistin Gene Promoter Not Associated With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of anovulatory infertility and affects approximately 4-7% of reproductive age women in the U.S. It is characterized by hyperandrogenemia and chronic anovulation and is associated with insulin resistance, obesity, and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. In a screen of candidate genes, a region on chromosome 19p13.3 was identified that shows significant evidence for both linkage and association with PCOS. A promising candidate gene for PCOS, resistin, maps to exactly this region. Resistin is a protein hormone thought to modulate glucose tolerance and insulin action. We tested for association between a single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the resistin gene and three phenotypes: PCOS, obesity, and insulin resistance. We did not find evidence for association with any of the phenotypes. It is therefore unlikely that variation in the resistin gene accounts for the strong association that we observe between chromosome 19p13.3 and PCOS. Instead, this association is most likely due to a gene or genetic element in this region that has not been identified.