Increased micronucleus frequencies in peripheral blood lymphocytes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess possible genomic instability in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

DESIGN

The frequency of micronuclei in cultured peripheral lymphocytes was used as a biomarker of genomic instability in somatic cells.

METHODS

Nineteen women, diagnosed with PCOS and 19 healthy female volunteers of corresponding ages and body-mass index (BMI) were included in the study. Micronuclei frequencies were assessed in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes.

RESULTS

The frequency of micronucleated cells (per thousand) was 9.00 (5.00) (interquartile range in parentheses) for patient group and 3.0 (3.0) for the control group (P < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U-test). The serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, prolactin, glucose and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and the homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were not different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Serum total testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and insulin levels and hirsutism score in the PCOS group were significantly (P = 0.007, P < 0.0001, P = 0.009 and P < 0.0001 respectively) higher than those of the control group (2.3 (2.1) nmol/l vs 1.7 (0.4) nmol/l; 8.5 (5.88) mU/ml vs 4.8 (4.4) mU/ml; 6.8 (5.1) microU/ml vs 9.7 (4.2) microU/ml; 19.5 (6.5) vs 4.0 (2.5) respectively). However, the mean level of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in PCOS group was significantly (P = 0.004) lower than in control group (36.4(22.6) nmol/l vs 48.6(25.2) nmol/l respectively).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that women with PCOS have a high incidence of genomic instability, and this condition is positively correlated with the hirsutism score, BMI, LH and serum total testosterone and insulin levels, and is negatively correlated with SHBG.