Background: Role of hs-CRP was studied in PCOS women.Methods: Correlation between serum hs-CRP and endocrine, metabolic profile was studied in 30 healthy women and 88 PCOS women. In PCOS women correlation between hs-CRP and clinical characteristics viz obesity, infertility, acne, hirsutism, acanthosis nigricans (AN) was also studied. Serum levels of hs-CRP, Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), LH:FSH ratio, Testosterone (Testo), fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (Tg), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) were estimated.Results: Mean serum hs-CRP in PCOS women was higher than that in control women (6.9 ± SE 0.84 v/s 2.0 ± SE 0.19mg/L, P=0.005). In PCOS group overweight/obese had higher hs-CRP as compared to normal weight women (P=0.0051). In control group hs-CRP was positively correlated with age (r=0.385 p=0.035) and LDL (r=0.38 P=0.036). PCOS women showed positive correlation between hs-CRP and cholesterol, LDL, fasting insulin, HOMA. PCOS women showed a significant negative correlation between hs-CRP and LH. AN positive PCOS women showed higher serum hs-CRP levels as compared to AN negative PCOS women (11 ± SE 0.7 v/s 5.5 ± SE 2.3, P=0.0439).Conclusions: Serum hs-CRP is raised in Indian PCOS women reflecting association of low grade chronic inflammation. A positive correlation is present between hs-CRP and AN, insulin in PCOS women and obesity may aggravate this association. A positive correlation between hs-CRP and TC, LDL in the background of normal lipid profile is suggestive of precedence of chronic inflammation over dyslipidemia in PCOS
