Abstract
Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinological disorder that affects 5–15% of women of their reproductive age and is a frequent cause of infertility. Major symptoms include hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and often obesity and/or insulin resistance. PCOS also represents a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that is closely interlinked with the metabolic features. “Classical” pro-inflammatory lipid mediators such as prostaglandins (PG), leukotrienes (LT), or thromboxanes (TX) are derived from arachidonic acid (AA) and are crucial for the initial response. Resolution processes are driven by four families of so-called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs): resolvins, maresins, lipoxins, and protectins. The study aimed to establish lipid mediator profiles of PCOS patients compared to healthy women to identify differences in their resolutive and pro-inflammatory lipid parameters. Material and Methods: Fifteen female patients (18–45 years) were diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria, and five healthy women, as a comparator group, were recruited for the study. The main outcome measures were: pro-inflammatory lipid mediators (PG, LT, TX) and their precursor AA, SPMs (resolvins, maresins, protectins, lipoxins), their precursors EPA, DHA, DPA, and their active biosynthesis pathway intermediates (18-HEPE, 17-HDHA, 14-HDHA). Results: The level of pro-inflammatory parameters in serum was significantly higher in PCOS-affected women. The ratio (sum of pro-inflammatory molecules)/(sum of SPMs plus hydroxylated intermediates) reflecting the inflammatory state was significantly lower in the group of healthy women. Conclusion: There is a strong pro-inflammatory state in PCOS patients. Further research will clarify whether supplementation with SPMs or their precursors may improve this state.
Highlights
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinological disorder that affects5–15% of women of their reproductive age and is a frequent cause of infertility
Measured prostanoids, including PGD2, PGE2, and PGF2, all together were increased by 600% in serum from patients with PCOS compared to healthy subjects (Figure 1)
Thromboxane TXB2 was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the serum from patients diagnosed with PCOS as compared to healthy subjects, which may reflect that these patients could suffer from coagulopathies (Figure 1)
Summary
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinological disorder that affects5–15% of women of their reproductive age and is a frequent cause of infertility. Resolution processes are driven by four families of so-called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs): resolvins, maresins, lipoxins, and protectins. The study aimed to establish lipid mediator profiles of PCOS patients compared to healthy women to identify differences in their resolutive and pro-inflammatory lipid parameters. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disease that causes irregular bleeding, chronic anovulation, androgen excess, and a typical ovarian ultrasound feature [1]. It affects between 5 and 10% of women in their reproductive age, representing one of the most frequent causes of infertility [2]. Apart from the cardinal diagnostic criteria, including hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and/or the morphology of polycystic ovaries, as defined by the so-called “Rotterdam criteria” [4], other characteristics
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