The
heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecan-3 (SDC3) is a novel regulator of feeding behavior and
body weight. Recently, an association of SDC3 polymorphisms with
obesity has been observed in Koreans. As female
obesity is associated with
hyperandrogenism and
infertility, we studied the role of SDC3 polymorphisms in female individuals undergoing diagnostics prior to
infertility treatment. For this purpose, endocrine parameters and body mass index of 249 women were assessed. Genotyping of V208I, D303N, and T329I was performed with TaqMan technology using lymphocyte-derived
DNA and allelic discrimination polymerase chain reaction. Chi-square test, Student's t test, and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. We find that an infrequent genotype and allele variation of T329I correlated with
obesity (p = 0.028). Genotype and alleles of V208I were associated with
luteinizing hormone (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001, respectively),
luteinizing hormone/
follicle-stimulating hormone (p = 0.002 and p < 0.005, respectively),
17 hydroxyprogesterone (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001, respectively),
androstenedione (p = 0.046 and p = 0.013, respectively), and
sex hormone-binding globulin (p = 0.021). We conclude that marked ethnic differences of the SDC3 SNP distribution in our European population could account for correlations less predominant compared to Koreans. While infrequent variations of T329I correlated with
obesity, V208I was associated with endocrine parameters related to
hyperandrogenism. These findings indicate that SDC3 polymorphisms could contribute to the link between female
hyperandrogenism and
obesity and suggest a novel potential role for SDC3 as a modulator of gonadal
steroid function.