Evaluation of Serum Levels of Irisin and Follistatin in Ovarian Cancer Patients and Their Association with Cancer Stages

Irisin and follistatin are important regulators of adipose tissue and may play a role in cancer progression. This study aimed to compare irisin and follistatin levels in patients with ovarian cancer to those in healthy individuals and to explore their association with cancer stages. The study included 18 healthy controls and 72 patients with malignant tumors, further divided into subgroups based on their stage of diagnosis (stage I, n = 18; stage II, n = 18) and treatment status (stage III, n = 18; stage IV, n = 18). Data on biochemical and demographic characteristics were collected for analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were utilized to assess the concentrations of serum irisin, follistatin, Interleukin α1, and cancer antigen 125 using a kit from Biomeriux, while total antioxidant status was measured using a kit from Randox. The findings revealed that patients diagnosed with cancer exhibited decreased irisin levels compared to healthy individuals. Additionally, all cancer patient groups displayed elevated follistatin levels in comparison to healthy controls, with a p value of less than 0.01. Furthermore, follistatin levels increased in conjunction with advancing cancer stage. Adjustment for age influenced the negative correlation between irisin and follistatin (r =  − 0.95, p < 0.001), whereas this association remained unaltered after controlling for age and body mass index. Univariate and multivariate models have identified indicators of cancerous growth that are not dependent on follistatin levels in patients diagnosed with early-stage of malignant ovarian cancer (odds ratios = 11.3, 95% confidence interval (3.05–41.78) and (odds ratio = 12.1, 95% confidence interval (6.31–37.34), respectively. Elevated levels of follistatin were observed in women with both early and later-stage ovarian cancer. When combined with lower irisin levels, follistatin concentration was linked to ovarian malignancy.