Differential Expression of Circulating miRNA-103 in Women with and without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has a largely unknown etiology and is a common heterogeneous endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, characterized by polycystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and chronic anovulation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA sequences that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. miRNA-103 has been associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, which are also associated with PCOS. This study aims to describe the different expressions of circulating miR-103 in the plasma of PCOS women.

This case-control study includes 25 women with PCOS and 25 healthy women. Plasma total RNA was isolated and, after polyadenylation, converted to total cDNA. Then, the expression level of microRNA-103 was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and SNORD miRNA was used as the reference gene.

Our results indicate that the expression level of miRNA-103 significantly decreased in the PCOS group compared to healthy women, which can be related to the etiology and progression of PCOS (p < 0.05).

Our findings recommend further studies in the larger statistical population and more accurate techniques to confirm microRNA-103 as a noninvasive diagnosis biomarker.