Atherogenic metabolic profile in PCOS patients: role of obesity and hyperandrogenism.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate glyco-lipidic metabolism and androgenic profile in a cohort of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) divided according to Rotterdam phenotypes and body mass index (BMI). DESIGN: A prospective case-control study. SETTING: Gynecology department in a teaching hospital. Patients. A total of 223 PCOS women and 25 healthy control women were studied. METHODS: Patients and controls were subdivided into three groups according to their BMI: normal weight (18.5 ≤ [BMI] ≤24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25.0 ≤ BMI ≤29.9 kg/m(2)), or obese (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m(2)) and according to Rotterdam criteria of PCOS. Main outcome measures. Pituitary-gonadal axis assessment including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol, PRL, testosterone, androstenedione, DHEA-S, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and inhibin B. Metabolic parameters included cholesterol (Chol), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG) and apolipoproteins (APO) AII and B as well as serum fasting insulin, glucose and HOMA-IR. RESULTS: Serum fasting insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR, TG and HDL were significantly higher in women with PCOS compared to controls. Additionally, serum levels of Chol, LDL and TG were significantly higher and HDL levels were significantly lower in obese PCOS women compared with overweight/normal PCOS irrespective of Rotterdam phenotypes. Free testosterone index but not androstenedione or total testosterone significantly correlated with TG, HDL and APO B. No significant correlations were detected between gonadotropins, inhibin B or estradiol with metabolic parameters studied. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity but not overweight in PCOS is associated with dyslipidemia. Hyperandrogenic women showed the most atherogenic lipid profiles.

Cribado de aneuploidía en gestación gemelar: resultados de la aplicación del test combinado / Trisomy 21 screening in twin pregnancies: results of the application of the combined test

Objetivo: Descripción de la efectividad del test combinado en gestaciones gemelares. Descripción del valor de los marcadores bioquímicos y de la medición de la translucencia nucal (TN) en gestaciones con fetos euploides y en gestaciones con algún feto afectado. Comparación de los marcadores en función de la corionicidad y del tipo de fecundación, espontánea o asistida.Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de 161 gestaciones gemelares. La determinación bioquímica (fracción beta libre de la gonadotropina coriónica humana [fß-hCG] y proteína plasmática A asociada al embarazo [PAPP-A]) se realizó entre las 8 y las 12 semanas y la medición de la TN entre las 11 y las 14 semanas. Con la aplicación del test combinado se calculó el riesgo de trisomía 21 para cada feto. En gestaciones monocoriales se calculó un único riesgo con la TN mayor. Se recomendó un procedimiento invasivo cuando el riesgo era >= 1/250 en uno o ambos fetos. Resultados: El test combinado mostró una sensibilidad del 100% para la detección de trisomía 21 (3 gestaciones y 4 fetos) para una tasa de falsos positivos del 6,4% de las gestaciones y 3,5% de los fetos. Las mediana de la fß-hCG fue 1,72 MoM, la PAPP-A 2,01 MoM y la TN 1,05 MoM. En las gestaciones monocoriales la mediana de la fß-hCG y de la PAPP-A fue significativamente menor que en las gestaciones dicoriales y la PAPP-A fue significa-tivamente menor en las gestaciones procedentes de reproducción asistida. No se observaron diferencias en la medición de la TN en función de la corionicidad ni del tipo de fecundación. Conclusiones: El test combinado en la gestación gemelar muestra una sensibilidad y una especificidad elevadas. Se observan algunas diferencias en el valor de los marcadores bioquímicos en función de la corionicidad y del antecedente de reproducción asistida, pero estas diferencias deberían confirmarse con un número mayor de casos

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Combined Test for trisomy 21 screening in twin pregnancies. To assess the performance of biochemical markers and nuchal translucency (NT) measurement in pregnancies with euploid fetuses and in twin pregnancies with one or two affected fetuses. To compare the value of markers according to chorionicity and the mode of conception. Material and methods: Retrospective study including 161 twin pregnancies. Maternal serum fß-hCG and PAPP-A were determined at 8 to 12 weeks and fetal NT was measured at 11 to 14 weeks. The individual risk of trisomy 21 was calculated in each fetus using the Combined Test. In monochorionic pregnancies, the single risk for the pregnancy was obtained with the largest NT. An invasive diagnostic procedure was offered when the risk was 1:250 or more in one or both of the fetuses. Results: All trisomy 21 pregnancies were identified (three pregnancies and four fetuses) by the combined testfor a false-positive rate of 6.4% of pregnancies and 3.5% of fetuses. The median fß-hCG level, expressed in MoM, was 1.72 and the median PAPP-A level was 2.01. The median NT was 1.05 MoM. Both fß-hCG and PAPP-A levels were significantly decreased in monochorionic pregnancies and PAPP-A was significantly decreased in pregnancies resulting from assisted reproduction. No significant differences were observed in NT measurement between monochorionic and dichorionic fetuses or between those conceived naturally or by assisted reproduction. Conclusions: The combined test shows high sensitivity and specificity in screening for trisomy 21 in twin pregnancies. The differences obtained in the biochemical markers according to chorionicity or the mode of conception require confirmation in further studies with a larger number or cases