Biomarker Panel for PCOS-Associated Liver Steatosis in Adolescent Girls (COMPASS-pedPCOS) (COMPASSpedPCOS)

July 29, 2026 updated by: Agah Bahadır Öztürk,MD, Kayseri City Hospital

COMPASS-PedPCOS: BMI-Independent Mechanistic Dissection of PCOS-Associated MASLD in Adolescent Girls With Obesity Using an Expanded Biomarker Panel - A Single-Center Pre-Pilot Clinical Study

This single-center, prospective, observational, cross-sectional mechanistic pilot study will evaluate whether polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) contributes to hepatic steatosis in adolescent girls independently of adiposity. A total of 150 girls aged 10-18 years will be enrolled into three groups of 50: girls with PCOS and obesity, age- and body mass index-matched girls with obesity but without PCOS, and healthy normal-weight girls. Each participant will undergo a single evaluation comprising anthropometry, clinical and biochemical phenotyping, transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter and two-dimensional shear wave elastography, and a single venous blood sample.

An extended biomarker panel will be measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Fetuin-A, fibroblast growth factor 21, adiponectin, visfatin, cytokeratin-18 M30 and M65, soluble CD163, growth differentiation factor 15, 11-ketotestosterone, and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione), together with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry measurement of testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin, and genotyping of PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567. The primary objective is to compare hepatic steatosis and the hepatokine/adipokine profile between the PCOS with obesity group and the adiposity-matched obesity control group, adjusting for body mass index z-score, insulin resistance, and free androgen index. No therapeutic intervention is assigned by the study protocol.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver condition of childhood and is closely linked to obesity and insulin resistance. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) frequently co-occurs with obesity in adolescent girls, and hyperandrogenism has been proposed as an additional hepatic insult. Because obesity is a powerful confounder, the independent contribution of hyperandrogenism to hepatic steatosis in adolescents remains poorly defined.

This study will be conducted at the Departments of Pediatric, Departments of Pediatric Endocrinology, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Genetics, and Pediatric Radiology of Kayseri City Hospital, Kayseri, Türkiye. Participants will be allocated to three predefined groups. Group 1 comprises girls with PCOS and obesity, diagnosed according to adolescent-adapted Rotterdam criteria requiring both hyperandrogenism and oligo-anovulation, with a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile. Group 2 comprises girls with obesity without features of PCOS, matched to Group 1 for age and body mass index. Group 3 comprises healthy normal-weight girls between the 5th and 84th body mass index percentiles.

The central comparison is Group 1 versus Group 2, which equalises adiposity and therefore isolates the contribution of hyperandrogenism. Hierarchical regression models will additionally adjust for body mass index z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and free androgen index. Hepatic steatosis will be quantified by the controlled attenuation parameter obtained during vibration-controlled transient elastography; liver stiffness will be assessed by vibration-controlled transient elastography and two-dimensional shear wave elastography.

A single venous blood sample will be obtained at the study visit. Serum will be separated and stored at minus 80 degrees Celsius until batch analysis, and genomic DNA will be isolated for TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping of PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567. All enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits will be procured as a single lot, and intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation together with spike-recovery validation will be documented for each kit.

Data will be recorded in a REDCap electronic case report form in accordance with ALCOA+ principles. The study is exploratory and is designed to generate effect-size and variance estimates for a subsequent validation study. Reporting will follow the STROBE statement, and non-invasive diagnostic performance analyses will follow the STARD 2015 statement. The study is also referred to as COMPASS-PedPCOS in institutional, ethics committee and funding documents.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

150

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

      • Kayseri, Turkey (Türkiye), 38080
        • University of Health Sciences, Kayseri City Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adolescent girls aged 10 to 18 years presenting to the Departments of Pediatric Endocrinology and Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology of Kayseri City Hospital, Kayseri, Türkiye. The study population comprises girls with polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity, girls with obesity without polycystic ovary syndrome matched for age and body mass index, and healthy normal-weight girls. Participants will be enrolled prospectively by consecutive sampling of eligible admissions.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female, aged 10 to 18 years, with written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian and written assent from the child.
  • Group 1 (PCOS with obesity): both hyperandrogenism and oligo-anovulation required, based on adolescent-adapted Rotterdam criteria; body mass index at or above the 95th percentile.
  • Group 2 (Obesity control): body mass index at or above the 95th percentile, without features of PCOS, matched to Group 1 for age and body mass index.
  • Group 3 (Healthy control): healthy normal-weight girls (body mass index between the 5th and 84th percentile) without chronic disease, hyperandrogenism, or menstrual irregularity.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known acute or chronic liver disease (including viral, autoimmune, or Wilson disease) or use of hepatotoxic medication.
  • Endocrine disorders or secondary hyperandrogenism, including Cushing syndrome, hypothyroidism, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen-secreting tumour, or hyperprolactinaemia.
  • Syndromic or monogenic obesity (including Prader-Willi syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Alström syndrome, MC4R or LEP variants) or a known genetic disorder.
  • Use of relevant or hepatotoxic medication within the preceding three months, including corticosteroids, metformin, oral contraceptives, valproic acid, or antiandrogens.
  • Pregnancy or regular alcohol use.
  • Refusal of consent or assent.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Group 1 ''PCOS With Obesity''
PCOS With Obesity (n=50) - Girls aged 10-18 years meeting adolescent-adapted Rotterdam criteria (both hyperandrogenism and oligo-anovulation required) with body mass index at or above the 95th percentile.
A single fasting venous blood sample is obtained at the study visit. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement of Fetuin-A, fibroblast growth factor 21, adiponectin, visfatin, cytokeratin-18 M30, cytokeratin-18 M65, soluble CD163, growth differentiation factor 15, 11-ketotestosterone and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione is performed. Total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin are measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Routine biochemistry and hormonal profiling are performed from the same sample. Observational only; no therapeutic agent is administered.
Hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness are assessed non-invasively at the same study visit. Vibration-controlled transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter yields attenuation (dB/m) and stiffness (kPa) values; two-dimensional shear wave elastography provides an independent stiffness estimate. Predefined validity criteria are applied to all acquisitions. No sedation, contrast agent or ionizing radiation is used; the procedure is observational.
Genomic DNA is isolated from the same single venous blood sample; no additional venipuncture is required. TaqMan allelic discrimination assays are used for genotyping of PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567. Genotype call rate and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are reported. Genotyping is performed for research purposes only; results are not used to guide clinical management.
Group 2 ''Obesity Control''
Obesity Control (n=50) - Girls with body mass index at or above the 95th percentile without features of PCOS, matched to Group 1 for age and body mass index.
A single fasting venous blood sample is obtained at the study visit. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement of Fetuin-A, fibroblast growth factor 21, adiponectin, visfatin, cytokeratin-18 M30, cytokeratin-18 M65, soluble CD163, growth differentiation factor 15, 11-ketotestosterone and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione is performed. Total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin are measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Routine biochemistry and hormonal profiling are performed from the same sample. Observational only; no therapeutic agent is administered.
Hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness are assessed non-invasively at the same study visit. Vibration-controlled transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter yields attenuation (dB/m) and stiffness (kPa) values; two-dimensional shear wave elastography provides an independent stiffness estimate. Predefined validity criteria are applied to all acquisitions. No sedation, contrast agent or ionizing radiation is used; the procedure is observational.
Genomic DNA is isolated from the same single venous blood sample; no additional venipuncture is required. TaqMan allelic discrimination assays are used for genotyping of PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567. Genotype call rate and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are reported. Genotyping is performed for research purposes only; results are not used to guide clinical management.
Group 3 ''Healthy Control''
Healthy Control (n=50) - Girls aged 10-18 years meeting adolescent, Healthy normal-weight girls (body mass index 5th-84th percentile) without chronic disease, hyperandrogenism, or menstrual irregularity.
A single fasting venous blood sample is obtained at the study visit. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement of Fetuin-A, fibroblast growth factor 21, adiponectin, visfatin, cytokeratin-18 M30, cytokeratin-18 M65, soluble CD163, growth differentiation factor 15, 11-ketotestosterone and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione is performed. Total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin are measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Routine biochemistry and hormonal profiling are performed from the same sample. Observational only; no therapeutic agent is administered.
Hepatic steatosis and liver stiffness are assessed non-invasively at the same study visit. Vibration-controlled transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter yields attenuation (dB/m) and stiffness (kPa) values; two-dimensional shear wave elastography provides an independent stiffness estimate. Predefined validity criteria are applied to all acquisitions. No sedation, contrast agent or ionizing radiation is used; the procedure is observational.
Genomic DNA is isolated from the same single venous blood sample; no additional venipuncture is required. TaqMan allelic discrimination assays are used for genotyping of PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567. Genotype call rate and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are reported. Genotyping is performed for research purposes only; results are not used to guide clinical management.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hepatic Steatosis Measured by Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP)
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Controlled attenuation parameter obtained during vibration-controlled transient elastography, compared between girls with PCOS and obesity and adiposity-matched girls with obesity, and across all three study groups, with adjustment for body mass index z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and free androgen index. Unit of measure: dB/m.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum Fetuin-A Concentration
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum Fetuin-A measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups with adjustment for body mass index z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and free androgen index. Unit of measure: µg/mL.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF-21) Concentration
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum FGF-21 measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups with adjustment for body mass index z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and free androgen index. Unit of measure: pg/mL.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum Adiponectin Concentration
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum adiponectin measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups with adjustment for body mass index z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and free androgen index. Unit of measure: µg/mL.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum Visfatin Concentration
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum visfatin measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups with adjustment for body mass index z-score, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and free androgen index. Unit of measure: ng/mL.
Day 1 (single study visit)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Serum Soluble CD163 Concentration
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum soluble CD163, a marker of macrophage activation, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups; evaluated as a candidate mediator of the association between hyperandrogenism and hepatic steatosis. Unit of measure: ng/mL.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum Cytokeratin-18 M30 and M65 Concentrations
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum cytokeratin-18 M30 (apoptotic fragment) and M65 (total cell death) measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups to characterise the mode of hepatocyte death. Unit of measure: U/L for each analyte.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Liver Stiffness Measurement
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Liver stiffness assessed by vibration-controlled transient elastography and by two-dimensional shear wave elastography, compared across the three study groups. Unit of measure: kPa.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Discriminatory Performance of the Biomarker Panel for Hepatic Steatosis
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Receiver operating characteristic analysis of individual biomarkers and of a composite preliminary risk score for the identification of hepatic steatosis. Measures include area under the receiver operating characteristic curve with 95% confidence intervals, sensitivity, and specificity at the Youden index.
Day 1 (single study visit)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Serum Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) Concentration
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum GDF-15, a marker of mitochondrial stress, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared across the three study groups. Unit of measure: pg/mL.
Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum 11-Oxygenated Androgen Concentrations
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Serum 11-ketotestosterone and 11beta-hydroxyandrostenedione measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and evaluated for association with hepatic steatosis measures independently of body mass index and insulin resistance. Unit of measure: ng/dL for each analyte.
Day 1 (single study visit)
PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567 Genotype Distribution and Gene-Gene Interaction
Time Frame: Day 1 (single study visit)
Genotype frequencies of PNPLA3 rs738409 and HSD17B13 rs72613567 determined by TaqMan assay, and evaluation of gene-gene interaction with respect to hepatic steatosis measures. Measure: genotype counts and interaction estimates; Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium will be assessed.
Day 1 (single study visit)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Agah B ÖZTÜRK, MD, Kayseri City Hospital, Kayseri, Türkiye

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 29, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Etik C.D.No:1010 (Kayseri CH)
  • TÜSEB2026-A4-U ProjectNo55983 (Other Identifier: Health Institutes of Türkiye (TÜSEB))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data underlying the published results, including clinical, anthropometric, biochemical, biomarker, and imaging variables, will be available from the principal investigator upon reasonable request. Individual-level genotype data will be shared only in aggregate form, or in de-identified individual-level form where explicitly permitted by the participant consent and the ethics approval, in accordance with applicable national legislation on special categories of personal data. Requests will be evaluated for scientific merit and consistency with the original ethics approval, and a data-use agreement will be required.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will become available after publication of the main results and will remain available for 5 years thereafter, upon reasonable request to the principal investigator.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Qualified researchers from recognised academic institutions may request access by contacting the principal investigator with a methodologically sound proposal. Requests will be reviewed by the study team for scientific merit and for consistency with the original ethics approval and participant consent. A signed data-use agreement is required before any de-identified data are released.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.