Oxidative stress and anti-oxidant defense system in Iranian women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder of infertility which affects more than 100 million women. It is characterized by chronic anovulation, hyper androgenism and obesity. PCOS is also associated with oxidative stress changes.

Here, we aimed to investigate the level of antioxidants and oxidative stress in Iranian women with PCOS as a predictive factor for cardiovascular disease for the first time in Iran.

In this cross sectional study 30 women with PCOS and 30 healthy women were included. C-reactive protein, serum insulin, advanced oxidation protein products, and level of total antioxidants status were measured from blood samples.

The levels of serum insulin, C-reactive protein, advanced oxidation protein productswere significantly increased in women with PCOS compared with healthy women but there was a decrease in level of total antioxidants status in PCOS women.

These changes show that oxidative stress contributes to PCOS and the decrease of antioxidants leads to increase of oxidation products contributing to PCOS.