Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Inflammatory Markers in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome, as a low-grade chronic inflammatory state, may stimulate the immune response, increasing inflammatory factors such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) on one hand and zinc, another effective anti-inflammatory agent, on the other. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of zinc on inflammatory markers in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Patients and Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, and placebo controlled clinical trial, sixty patients with polycystic ovary syndrome were randomly divided into two groups, each group received one of the following daily supplement for eight weeks; group Zn: 50 mg elemental zinc (n = 30), and group P: Placebo (n =30). Fasting serum zinc levels, inflamma-tory markers, systolic-and diastolic blood pressure, anthropometric indices, and nutritional intake were measured at the baseline and the end of 8th week. Results: Results indicate that after eight weeks of supplementation, mean value of nutritional intake, anthropometric indices, and systolic-and diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly in the two groups. Zinc supplementation had significant effects in increasing serum Zn (p < 0.05) and in decreasing serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels (p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in the levels of these parameters in the placebo group. Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate that zinc supplementation may be considered as an inexpensive adjunct to treatments in patients with polycystic ovary syn-drome in the hope of reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors, particularly inflammation.