Serum Levels of Interleukin-36α and Interleukin-1α In Iraqi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Authors

  • Fatima Hussein Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology for Postgraduate Studies, University of Baghdad , Jadriya , Baghdad, Iraq.
  • Esraa Ahmed Abdul Qader Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Medical Technology ,University of Alfarahidi, Al-Qadisiyah, Baghdad, Iraq.
  • Riyam Ahmed Saber Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Medical Technology ,University of Alfarahidi, Al-Qadisiyah, Baghdad, Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22401/anjs.29.3.3061

Keywords:

Polycystic ovary syndrome, Interleukin-36 alpha, Interleukin-1 alpha, Body mass index, Follicle-stimulating hormone

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the serum levels of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) and interleukin-36 alpha (IL-36α) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and to examine their relationship with age and body mass index (BMI). A total number of collected specimens are 75, which were 45 patients and 30 healthy control women participated in this study from different private clinics in Baghdad/ Iraq, for the period starting December 2023 to February 2024. The age ranges for both patients and controls was 18–40 years, with mean ages of 25.60 ± 6.38 years for patients and 29.44 ± 11.61 years for controls. BMI was determined for all participants, revealing a statistically highly significant difference between the PCOS group (27.53 ± 4.72) and the control group (24.02 ± 2.84). The results showed significantly elevated levels of IL-1α (567.0 ± 59.0 pg/ml vs. 196.56 ± 21.56 pg/ml) and IL-36α (511.0 ± 99.4 ng/L vs. 175.82 ± 41.67 ng/L) in the PCOS group compared to the control group. A positive correlation was found between IL-1α and IL-36α. IL-36α was not significantly correlated with age or BMI, while IL-1α was not significantly correlated with age but showed a significant positive correlation with BMI (r = 0.356, P = 0.013). This suggests that the higher IL-1α levels may be partly associated with the higher BMI in the PCOS group and may not be due to PCOS alone. Furthermore, levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T) were significantly elevated in women with PCOS.

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Published

2026-09-15

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 3 (2026): September 2026

Section

Biology

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Fatima Hussein, Esraa Ahmed Abdul Qader, Riyam Ahmed Saber

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

(1)
Hussein, F. .; Ahmed Abdul Qader, E. .; Ahmed Saber, R. . Serum Levels of Interleukin-36α and Interleukin-1α In Iraqi Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Al-Nahrain J. Sci. 2026, 29 (3), 56-64. https://doi.org/10.22401/anjs.29.3.3061.