Abstract
BACKGROUND: Endometrial atypical hyperplasia (EAH) is recognized as the precursor to type I endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer (EC), strongly associated with disorders in glucose metabolism such as obesity and insulin resistance, is believed to be influenced by hormones secreted from adipose tissue known as adipokines. METHODS: In a cross-sectional case-control study, 88 patients diagnosed with either EAH or EC were enrolled. Their irisin levels in serum were compared to those of a control group. RESULTS: Irisin levels were significantly higher in patients with both EAH and EC compared to the control group (p = 0.022). In multivariable analysis, the association between irisin and EAH remained statistically significant and independent after adjustment for covariates (p = 0.018), whereas the association with EC was weakened and did not remain statistically significant (p = 0.071). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that Irisin levels in patients with EAH or EC differ from those in a control group, suggesting that irisin levels are correlated with the risks of EH and EC. Larger studies are required to clarify the potential use of irisin in the diagnosis of EC.