Abstract:
Objective To investigate the relationship between adrenal androgen level and insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients.
Method Twenty-two healthy women and 85 PCOS patients were underwent adrenocorticptropic hormone(ACTH)stimulation test, and 85 PCOS patients were divided into high response-polycystic ovary syndrome(HR-PCOS)group and normal response-polycystic ovary syndrome(NR-PCOS)group.The ratio of serum luteinizing hormone to follicle stimulating hormone(LH/FSH), estradiol(E2), testosterone(T)and progestin(P)were tested by radioimmunoassay method.17-hydroxyprogesterone(17-OHP), dehydroepiandros-teronesulfate(DHEAS)and androsterone(AD)was tested at 0 and 60 min after an ACTH stimulation test.Body mass index(BMI), waist-to-hip-circumference radio(WHR)and homeostasis modes ofassessment for insulin resistence index(HOMA-IR)were also measured.
Results There were 20 cases that 17-OHP levels were higher than normal(HR-PCOS), the other 65 cases were NR-PCOSgroup.MBI and WHR(MBI: χ2=13.874, 14.512, WHR: χ2=12.607, 15.153, P all < 0.05)of HR-PCOS group and NR-PCOS group were significantly higher than control group, but there had no significant difference between the two PCOS groups(χ2=4.801, 5.326, P all > 0.05).HR-PCOS group and NR-PCOS group were significantly higher than the control group for LH/FSH and estradiol(LH/FSH: χ2=18.226, 16.327, E2: χ2=17.334, 19.261, P all < 0.05), but there had no significant difference between the two PCOS groups.Serum T of HR-PCOS group was significantly higher than control group(χ2=12.274, P < 0.01), HR-PCOS group and NR-PCOS group were higher than control group(χ2=20.314, 18.492, P all < 0.01).17-OHP and DHEAS of HR-PCOS group were significantly higher than NR-PCOS group and control group before and after ACTH stimulation test(17-OHP: χ2=18.063, 19.214, DHEAS: χ2=17.358, 19.355, P all < 0.01).But there had no differences between NR-PCOS group and control group(χ2=4.109, 4.362, P all > 0.05).AD of HR-PCOS group and NR-PCOS group were higher than control group before and after the ACTH stimulation test(χ2=14.062, 16.549, P all < 0.05).However, there had no differences(χ2=5.541, P > 0.05)between the two PCOS groups.Serum cortisol was no difference between HR-PCOS, NR-PCOS and control groups before and after stimulation test.HOMA-IR of HR-PCOS group and NR-PCOS group were higher than control group(χ2=19.263, 21.482, P all < 0.01), and HR-PCOS group is higher than NR-PCOS group(χ2=13.582, P < 0.05).
Conclusions There have significantly higher basal and ACTH-stimulated level of adrenal androgen hyperresponsiveness in PCOS patients.Adrenal androgen level appears to be closely associated with insulin resistance in PCOS patients.