Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Leading position among endocrine pathology of adolescence and young women is type 1 diabetes (T1D), which in recent years had been proved to have a strong association with reproductive dysfunction among such patients. The purpose was to investigate the features of reproductive health in 120 young women (18–22 years old) with T1D.

Methods: Retrospectively we studied the features of puberty and prospectively examined level of blood glucose and HbA_1c, levels of gonadotropin (LH, FSH) and sex hormones (prolactine, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) (ELISA, France) and determined antibodies to ovarian tissue (Euroimmune, Germany) in peripheral blood, held pelvic ultrasonography (MyLabSeven, Italy).

Results: The proportion of patients with delayed puberty and physical development of type 1 diabetes with the debut in the pre-puberty was in 62.5%, in the early puberty (3-7 years) – 15.0%, in the active adolescence (11–14 years) – 11.7% of post-puberty (over 14 years) – 10.8%. Ovarian failure occurred in 76.7% of the patients, and was expressed in the increased LH, estradiol and free testosterone levels. The positive correlation relationships were detected between blood levels of estradiol (r=0.77, P<0.05), testosterone (r=0.56, P<0.05) and level HbA_1c; negative correlation relationship were revealed between progesterone blood level (r=0.67, P<0.05) and level of HbA_1c. Fiction revealed correlations between the levels of sex hormones and the regime of insulin therapy. Autoimmune ovarian failure was detected in the 4.2% cases. The presence of ovarian insufficiency was accompanied by an increase in ovarian volume and number of antral follicles in them.

Conclusion: Type 1 diabetes adversely affect the formation of future reproductive health of girls, realized at hormonal dysfunction, ovarian failure and pathological changes in the structure of the ovaries.