Hyperhomocysteinemia and pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A case-control study.

Background: One of the reproductive medicine challenges is to determine the role of hyperhomocysteinemia in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), especially in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Objective: Determine the correlation between hyperhomocysteinemia and pregnancy outcome in women with PCOS. Materials and Methods: This case-control study involved 245 women (20-30 yr) and was conducted in Georgia, Tbilisi from 2019-2022. Of these, 175 were women with PCOS (study group) and 70 were healthy women (control group). Women with PCOS were divided into group I with RPL (n = 90), and group II with live births (n = 85). Group I was divided into subgroups A and B with and without insulin resistance. The investigation measured homocysteine (Hcy), follicle-stimulating, luteinizing, anti-Mullerian hormones, total and free testosterone were determined. To determine the ovarian volume and antral follicle count, participants also underwent an ultrasound examination. Results: In women with PCOS, the average Hcy level was significantly higher than in the controls, p < 0.05. In group I, the average Hcy level was significantly higher than in group II and controls, p < 0.05. There was no significant difference in average Hcy level between group II and controls. The average Hcy level in group I, subgroup A was significantly higher than in subgroup B, p < 0.05. The average total, free testosterone levels, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance levels (HOMA-IR) in group I was significantly higher than in group II and controls. HOMA-IR in group II and controls did not differ significantly. The average anti-Mullerian hormone levels in women with PCOS were significantly higher than controls, p < 0.05. No significant difference was observed in average anti-Mullerian hormone level, ovarian volume, antral follicle count, and body mass index between the comparison groups of PCOS. In group I, a positive correlation between Hcy with HOMA-IR was detected. Conclusion: Serum Hcy levels are elevated in women with PCOS and RPL, which correlates with their insulin resistance status.

Challenges in diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome in adolescence.

OBJECTIVE: we evaluated clinical features, the hormonal status, and ovarian morphological characteristics using ultrasound (US) in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and an 'increased risk' of PCOS, and compared the data to age-matched controls. METHODS: the prospective study involved 154 adolescents (≥2 and <8 years post menarche): Group I-adolescents with PCOS (n = 60), Group II- adolescents with an 'increased risk' of PCOS (n = 48), and Group III- control group (n = 46). PCOS patients met all 3 diagnostic criteria of the Rotterdam consensus (2003), an 'increased risk' of PCOS was accepted as 'menstrual irregularities and clinical and/or biochemical hyperandrogenism'. RESULTS: In adolescents with PCOS and 'increased risk' of PCOS, AMH and SHBG did not differ significantly. In Group I and Group II, the average AMH level was significantly higher, while SHBG was significantly lower than in the controls (p < .001). Androgen levels and mFG in Group I and Group II did not differ significantly, but were significantly higher than in controls (p < .001). In Group I, index of insulin resistance and the number of antral follicles (AFC) were significantly higher than in the comparison groups (p < .05). There was no significant difference in ovarian volume between comparison groups (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of AMH, SHBG, clinical and biochemical hyperandrogenism and menstrual irregularities may be considered as diagnostic markers of PCOS in adolescents and for the identification of a 'risk group' for developing PCOS. Ultrasound estimation of AFC are a more specific marker of ovarian morphology in adolescents with PCOS, rather than ovary volume.

Prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders among the general and Aboriginal populations in Canada and the United States.

Prenatal alcohol exposure may cause a number of health complications for the mother and developing fetus, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This study aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of i) alcohol use (any amount) and binge drinking (4 or more standard drinks on a single occasion) during pregnancy, and ii) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and FASD among the general and Aboriginal populations in Canada and the United States, based on the available literature. Comprehensive systematic literature searches and meta-analyses, assuming a random-effects model, were conducted. It was revealed that about 10% and 15% of pregnant women in the general population consume alcohol in Canada and the United States, respectively, and that about 3% of women engage in binge drinking during pregnancy in both countries. However, the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy in the Aboriginal populations of the United States and Canada were found to be approximately 3-4 times higher, respectively, compared to the general population. Even more alarmingly, it was estimated that approximately one in five women in the Aboriginal populations in both countries engage in binge drinking during pregnancy. Further, among the general population of Canada, the pooled prevalence was estimated to be about 1 per 1000 for FAS and 5 per 1000 for FASD. However, compared to the general population, the prevalence of FAS and FASD among the Aboriginal population in Canada was estimated to be 38 times and 16 times higher, respectively. With respect to the United States, the pooled prevalence of FAS and FASD was estimated to be about 2 per 1000 and 15 per 1,000, respectively, among the general population, and 4 per 1000 and 10 per 1,000, respectively, among the Aboriginal population. The FAS and FASD pooled prevalence estimates presented here should be used with caution due to the limited number of existing studies and their methodological limitations. Based on the results of the current study, it is evident that there is an urgent need for implementing more effective national prevention and surveillance strategies to monitor and lower the prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and FASD.