Association of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate with endothelial function in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess non-invasively endothelial function of young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in comparison with healthy age-matched women and a group of young women with idiopathic hirsutism (IH). The possible role of metabolic and hormonal parameters on endothelial function was also examined. DESIGN: Descriptive clinical trial. METHODS: Fifty-six women, 27 with PCOS, 16 with IH and 13 healthy age-matched women were studied. Endothelial function of resistance arteries was assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography. Metabolic and hormonal parameters were estimated in this study population. RESULTS: The duration of reactive hyperemia (durRH) was shorter in PCOS group when compared with normal controls (63.75 +/- 13.33 s vs 113.18 +/- 20.92 s, P = 0.036). A similar finding was observed when PCOS were compared with IH group (63.75 +/- 13.33 s vs 105 +/- 17.20 s, P = 0.05). The durRH did not differ between IH and control group (105 +/- 17.20 s vs 113.18 +/- 20.92 s, ns). A significant positive linear correlation was found between the durRH and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) levels (r = +0.48, P = 0.04) in the PCOS group. The basal insulin resistance index (HOMA) differed significantly between PCOS, IH and control groups. There was no significant correlation between durRH and HOMA index or testosterone levels in the PCOS group. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial dysfunction may be an early sign of cardiovascular system abnormalities in young PCOS women. It is possible that increased DHEA-S levels may offer a cardioprotective advantage that attenuates the effects of cardiovascular risk factors that accompany PCOS.

Study of the Trp64Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor in Greek women with gestational diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed whether the Trp(64)Arg polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3-AR), which has been associated with obesity, insulin resistance, weight gain, and earlier onset of type 2 diabetes, is more frequent in women who develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or whether it is associated with weight gain during pregnancy RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 311 Greek pregnant women (180 with GDM and 131 without GDM [control]) who underwent a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the third trimester of pregnancy were genotyped for the beta3-AR Arg(64) polymorphism. Insulin levels were also determined during the OGTT. RESULTS: The frequency of Trp(64)Arg heterozygotes in this population was approximately 7% and was similar in the GDM and control groups (6.7 vs. 6.9%) as well as in the obese (BMI > or =27 kg/m2) and the nonobese (6.3 vs. 6.8%) subgroups. In the GDM group, BMI, fasting insulin resistance index, and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher in Trp(64)Arg carriers; these differences were no longer observed when obesity was considered. In the 4 subgroups (control Trp(64)Trp and Trp(64)Arg and GDM Trp(64)Trp and Trp(64)Arg), a highly significant trend was evident of an increase in the percentage of subjects with shorter height. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of the Arg(64) allele in Greek pregnant women is relatively rare compared with other ethnic groups and is probably not related to the development of GDM or obesity The observed tendency for shorter body height in Arg(64) carriers merits further evaluation in larger population samples.