Endocrine Abstracts

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation polycystic ovarian syndome (PCOS) and the thiol/disulfide balance, used as a marker of oxidative stress, by measuring that exchange using a novel technique.

Material/methods: Fourty nine subjects diagnosed with PCOS and 44 healthy were included in the study. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis concentrations were measured by a newly developed method. After native thiol, total thiol and disulfide levels were determined; measures such as disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, and native thiol/total thiol were calculated.

Results: Lipid accumulation product (LAP) index (P<0.001), total testesterone (P<0.001), insulin (P=0.003), total cholesterol (P=0.02), triglyceride (P=0.004), disulfide (P=0.007), disulfide/native thiol ratio (P<0.001) and disulfide/total thiol ratio (P<0.001) were significantly higher and native thiol (P=0.01), total thiol (P=0.04) and native thiol/total thiol ratio (P<0.001) were sig-nificantly lower in patients with PCOS compared to control subjects. Correlation analysis reveals negative correlation of FGS, cycles, WC, LH: FSH ratio and Tg with native thiol and total thiol in cases. Also there was a significant negative correlation between LAP index, BMI and native thiol. DHEA-S had a positive correlation between disulphide. Stepwise logistic regression model showed that significantly high disulfide levels, disulfide/native thiol ratio and disulfide/total thiol ratio in patients with PCOS were found to be independent of age and BMI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that areas under the curve for native thiol, total thiol, native thiol/total thiol ratio and disulfide, disulfide/native thiol ratio, disulfide/total thiol ratio were 0.660 (P=0.008), 0.601 (P=0.096), 0.714 (P<0.001), 0.663 (P=0.007), 0.701 (P=0.001), 0.701 (P=0.001), respectively.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that oxidative stress is increased in patients with PCOS, can play a pathophysiological role in the development of PCOS and this increase is not associated age and BMI. However, studies with larger sample sizes are needed in this area.