Evaluation of hormonal pattern and index of oxidative stress in normal weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome

It is well known that insulin resistance (IR) is associated with polycyst ic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Oxidative stress (OS) is, in turn, related to IR, with a vicious cycle. PCOS patients presented higher circulating concentrations of oxidative stress products such as homocysteine, malondialdehyde, an increase of superoxide dismutase and reduction of antioxidants such as glutathione and paraoxonase-1 activity. Most studies however concerned obese PCOS subjects. In order to investigate parameters of OS in normal weight PCOS and the relationships with hormonal and metabolic parameters, we have evaluated the concentrations of C o e n z y m e Q 1 0 ( C o Q 1 0 ) , a componen t o f m i tochond r i a l respiratory chain, also endowed with antioxidant properties, in plasma of PCOS and normal menstruating women. Also malondialdheyde (MDA) , a p roduc t o f l i p id peroxidation, was evaluated. We did not find a significant difference in MDA (in PCOS patiens mean±ES: 7020±2474 pmol/ml vs 12380±2198.9 in controls) and CoQ10 (577.2±41.6 pmol/ml vs 495.6±38.8). (Fig.1a-b)