Oxidative stress in polycystic ovary syndrome and its contribution to the risk of cardiovascular disease

Objectives: To determine oxidant and antioxidant status in women with polyc ystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its contribution to the risk of cardiovascu lar disease. Design and methods: 27 women with PCOS were compared with regard to oxidant and antioxidant status with 18 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched heal thy. Oxidant status was evaluated by determination of erythrocyte malondial dehyde (MDA) concentration, while antioxidant status was evaluated by deter mination of erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration, and glutat hione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Area u nder curve (AUC) for glucose, AUC for insulin and the insulin sensitivity i ndex (ISI) were calculated from two-hour OGTT. Results: Women with PCOS were found to have higher AUC for glucose (p = 0.0 1), AUC for insulin (p < 0.001), MDA level (p = 0.009) and SOD activity (p = 0.04), and lower ISI (p < 0.001) and GSH level (p = 0.03) than the contro ls. In correlation analysis, a significant relationship was found between M DA levels and age (p < 0.01), BMI (p < 0.001), waist-to-hip ratio (p < 0.01 ), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (both p < 0.05), AUCs for glucose and insulin (both p < 0.05), ISI (r = -0.42, p < 0.05) and triglyceride (p < 0.01). Conclusions: An increase in oxidant status was found in women with PCOS, an d this increase was related to central obesity, age, blood pressure, serum glucose, insulin and triglyceride levels and insulin resistance. In contras t, antioxidant status was observed to be insufficient. These findings sugge st that increased oxidative stress may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women with PCOS. (C) 2001 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. All rights reserved.