ABSTRACT
The present study comprised a total of 75 young women [45 polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS] patients and 30 age and weight matched controls]. On the basis of their body mass index [BMI], the patients and controls were further subdivided into obese [BMI 27 kg/m2] and lean [BMI 25 kg/m2] groups. All participants in the study were subjected to medical as well as reproductive history. A clinical and gynecological examination including pelvic ultrasonography was done. BMI and WHR were also calculated. Hirsutism was examined and graded. Fasting plasma glucose, serum LH, FSH, testosterone, SHBG, insulin, IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 were measured. Fasting glucose/insulin ratio as an indicator of insulin resistance and free androgen index [FAI] as index of hyperandrogenemia were calculated. Moreover, follicular fluid samples were collected from 15 PCOS and 5 control subjects for the assessment of their IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 levels