NORMAL SERUM URIC-ACID CONCENTRATIONS IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC-OVARY-SYNDROME

Recently, an inverse correlation between serum uric acid concentration s and insulin sensitivity has been described in subjects with varying degrees of metabolic syndrome, suggesting that measurement of serum ur ic acid may provide a simple marker of insulin resistance, Several bio chemical and clinical features of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) res emble those of metabolic syndrome: women with PCOS are often obese; th ey are also at increased risk for the development of coronary artery d isease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, The objective of the prese nt study was to analyse the usefulness of serum uric acid measurement in screening for the metabolic syndrome in women with PCOS. For that p urpose serum concentrations of uric acid, insulin and triglycerides we re measured in 38 women with PCOS and 20 weight-matched control women with regular menstrual cycles, No differences were found in the uric a cid concentrations between the PCOS and control groups, The mean conce ntrations of triglycerides and fasting insulin were higher in the wome n with PCOS than in the healthy controls, Serum uric acid concentratio ns were inversely related to serum hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) con centrations, and positively with body mass index (BMI), insulin concen trations and testosterone:SHBG ratio in the PCOS group, Our results su ggest that measurement of serum uric acid does not provide new means f or identification of metabolic syndrome in patients with PCOS.