Abstract
BACKGROUND: This case-control study aimed to investigate the relationship between plasma EVs LncRNAs, specifically Xist, MALAT1, and NEAT1, and MetS in PCOS patients, to identify a novel biomarker for early MetS diagnosis in these patients. METHODS: The levels of Xist, MALAT1, and NEAT1 in PCOS patients with and without MetS were quantified using qRT-PCR and then compared. Generalized linear regression and trend regression analyses were utilized to examine the association between three LncRNAs and MetS. ROC curve, DCA, AIC assessment, and importance ranking were applied to assess the clinical value of the three LncRNAs for MetS in PCOS patients. RESULTS: The study included 220 newly diagnosed PCOS patients, with 82 (37.273%) having MetS. The expression levels of Xist, MALAT1, and NEAT1 were lower in PCOS patients with MetS compared to those without MetS (all P < 0.001). Further, significant independent associations between the three LncRNAs and MetS occurrence were found (all P < 0.05), with a negative relationship. Among three LncRNAs, MALAT1 had the superior performance (AUC = 0.801) in discriminative the occurrence of MetS in PCOS patients. In addition, MALAT1 also showed the highest importance for the risk of MetS. CONCLUSION: The low expressions of Xist, MALAT1, and NEAT1 were associated with the high risk of MetS in PCOS patients, with MALAT1 potentially serving as a preferred molecular marker for discriminative MetS in PCOS.