scholarly journals A Genetically Defined Male Counterpart of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Evidence for Ovarian-Independent Pathogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A773-A774
Author(s):  
Jia Zhu ◽  
Laura Brigitte Leen Wittemans ◽  
Cecilia Lindgren ◽  
Joel N Hirschhorn ◽  
Yee-Ming Chan

Abstract Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous condition that affects 6-10% of women of reproductive age. PCOS is often characterized by a triad of ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and cardiometabolic dysfunction. Both ovarian-related and ovarian-independent factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PCOS, but it remains to be determined which are the inciting events and which are the secondary consequences. Studies of male relatives of women with PCOS have proposed a male counterpart of PCOS, which suggests that PCOS is not always a primary disorder of female reproduction, but rather can be, at least in part, a condition of cardiometabolic dysregulation and hyperandrogenism, with ovarian dysfunction as a secondary consequence. Methods: To investigate a genetically defined male counterpart of PCOS, we optimized a polygenic risk score (PRS) algorithm for predicting PCOS based on 206,851 unrelated women of European ancestry in the UK Biobank, then used this algorithm to calculate PCOS PRS for 176,360 men in the UK Biobank. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios for dichotomous outcomes by comparing men with high and low PRS (testing a variety of percentile cutoffs) and ANCOVA to compare continuous outcomes across deciles of PRS. All analyses were adjusted for age, age2, assessment center, genotyping array, and the first 10 principal genetic components to account for ancestry. Results: Men who carried a high PCOS PRS (top 20%) had a 17% increased risk of obesity defined as BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (OR 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14-1.20, p=1.3x10-30), 15% increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.09-1.20, p=5.3x10-8), 5% increased risk of coronary artery disease (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09, p=0.03), and 5% increased risk for androgenic alopecia (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.08, p=0.01). BMI, hemoglobin A1c, triglycerides, and the free androgen index all increased across deciles of the PRS, while HDL and SHBG decreased across PRS deciles (p all <0.001). The relationship between the PCOS PRS and coronary artery disease, HDL, and triglycerides appeared to be mediated by BMI. In contrast, the associations between the PCOS PRS and type 2 diabetes mellitus and hemoglobin A1c remained significant after adjusting for BMI, suggesting independent mechanisms of pathogenesis. Conclusions: By demonstrating associations between PCOS genetic risk factors and cardiometabolic dysfunction and androgenic conditions in men, we have shown that these genetic risk factors can act independently of ovarian function. Thus, at least in some cases, the reproductive dysfunction of PCOS in women may arise secondarily from disruption of biological pathways common to both men and women. Future dissection of these biological pathways will further inform efforts to identify pathological mechanisms underlying PCOS.

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 595-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sezcan Mumusoglu ◽  
Bulent Okan Yildiz

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) comprises individual components including central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and hypertension and it is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The menopause per se increases the incidence of MetS in aging women. The effect(s) of menopause on individual components of MetS include: i) increasing central obesity with changes in the fat tissue distribution, ii) potential increase in insulin resistance, iii) changes in serum lipid concentrations, which seem to be associated with increasing weight rather than menopause itself, and, iv) an association between menopause and hypertension, although available data are inconclusive. With regard to the consequences of MetS during menopause, there is no consistent data supporting a causal relationship between menopause and CVD. However, concomitant MetS during menopause appears to increase the risk of CVD. Furthermore, despite the data supporting the association between early menopause and increased risk of T2DM, the association between natural menopause itself and risk of T2DM is not evident. However, the presence and the severity of MetS appears to be associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Although the mechanism is not clear, surgical menopause is strongly linked with a higher incidence of MetS. Interestingly, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of MetS during their reproductive years; however, with menopausal transition, the risk of MetS becomes similar to that of non-PCOS women.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ky'Era V. Actkins ◽  
Genevieve Jean-Pierre ◽  
Melinda C. Aldrich ◽  
Digna R. Velez Edwards ◽  
Lea K. Davis

Females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women, have an increased risk of developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Furthermore, while only diagnosable in females, males with a family history of PCOS can also exhibit a poor cardiometabolic profile. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the role of sex in the relationship between PCOS and its comorbidities by conducting bidirectional genetic risk score analyses in both sexes. We conducted a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) using PCOS polygenic risk scores (PCOSPRS) to understand the pleiotropic effects of PCOS genetic liability across 1,380 medical conditions in females and males recorded in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center electronic health record (EHR) database. After adjusting for age and genetic ancestry, we found that European descent males with higher PCOSPRS were significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases than females at the same level of genetic risk, while females had a higher odds of developing T2D. Based on observed significant associations, we tested the relationship between PRS for comorbid conditions (e.g., T2D, body mass index, hypertension, etc.) and found that only PRS generated for BMI and T2D were associated with a PCOS diagnosis. We then further decomposed the T2DPRS association with PCOS by adjusting the model for measured BMI and BMIresidual (enriched for the environmental contribution to BMI). Results demonstrated that genetically regulated BMI primarily accounted for the relationship between T2DPRS and PCOS. This was further supported in a mediation analysis, which only revealed clinical BMI measurements, but not BMIresidual, as a strong mediator for both sexes. Overall, our findings show that the genetic architecture of PCOS has distinct metabolic sex differences, but these associations are only apparent when PCOSPRS is explicitly modeled. It is possible that these pathways are less explained by the direct genetic risk of metabolic traits than they are by the risk factors shared between them, which can be influenced by biological variables such as sex.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. R187-R195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Chen ◽  
Shu-ying Fang

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogenous endocrine disorder with typical symptoms of oligomenorrhoea, hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, obesity, insulin resistance and increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Extensive evidence indicates that PCOS is a genetic disease and numerous biochemical pathways have been linked with its pathogenesis. A number of genes from these pathways have been investigated, which include those involved with steroid hormone biosynthesis and metabolism, action of gonadotropin and gonadal hormones, folliculogenesis, obesity and energy regulation, insulin secretion and action and many others. In this review, we summarize the historical and recent findings in genetic polymorphisms of PCOS from the relevant publications and outline some genetic polymorphisms that are potentially associated with the risk of PCOS. This information could uncover candidate genes associating with PCOS, which will be valuable for the development of novel diagnostic and treatment platforms for PCOS patients.


Diabetes Care ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 762-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Vetter ◽  
Hassan S. Dashti ◽  
Jacqueline M. Lane ◽  
Simon G. Anderson ◽  
Eva S. Schernhammer ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 174 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
DH Abbott ◽  
DA Dumesic ◽  
S Franks

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common but complex endocrine disorder and is a major cause of anovulation and consequent subfertility. It is also associated with a metabolic disturbance, characterized by hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance that carries an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in later life. Despite its prevalence little is known about its aetiology, but there is increasing evidence for an important genetic involvement. On the basis of experimental observations in the prenatally androgenized sheep and rhesus monkey, and supported by data from human studies, we propose that the clinical and biochemical features of PCOS can arise as a consequence of genetically determined hypersecretion of androgens by the ovary during, or very likely long before, puberty. The resulting hyperandrogenism results in 'programming' of the hypothalamic-pituitary unit to favour excess LH secretion, and encourages preferential abdominal adiposity that predisposes to insulin resistance. The severity of hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance (which has a profound influence on the phenotype of PCOS) is further influenced by both genetic factors (such as polymorphism in the insulin gene regulatory region) and environmental factors, notably obesity. This hypothesis therefore suggests a unifying, 'linear' model to explain the aetiology of the heterogeneous phenotype.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A766-A766
Author(s):  
Ky’Era Actkins ◽  
Digna R Velez Edwards ◽  
Melinda Aldrich ◽  
Lea K Davis

Abstract Females with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an increased risk of developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). High-risk groups or individuals with a family history are more likely to have a greater genetic susceptibility to these diseases, which drastically increases their risk of developing other chronic health conditions. In this study, we systematically evaluated the bidirectional genetic burden of PCOS and its comorbidities among females and males. First, we analyzed the pleiotropic effects of the PCOS polygenic risk score (PRS), a measurement of genetic liability to PCOS, across 1,857 medical conditions recorded in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center electronic health record. We conducted a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) adjusted for median age, sex, and genetic ancestry. In the European sex-combined model (n = 72,824), we observed that PCOS PRS was significantly (Bonferroni corrected p < 7.86e-06) associated with T2D (OR = 1.11, p = 8.75e-08) and hypertension (OR = 1.06, p = 1.13e-07) in addition to polycystic ovaries (OR = 1.11, p = 1.91e-07). In the sex-stratified model, we found that males (n = 32,022) with a higher PRS for PCOS were more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases (CVD) compared to females (n = 40,802) who had higher odds of developing T2D. Although we were underpowered to detect any phenome-wide significant effects in our African descent sample (n=15,283), uterine leiomyoma (OR = 1.24, p = 3.79e-03), osteoarthritis (OR = 1.21, p = 3.94e-03), and benign neoplasm of uterus (OR = 1.24, p = 4.00e-03) were the top three nominal significant results (p < 0.05) in females (n = 9,418). To understand the genetic relationships observed in the PheWAS, we used LD score regression to determine the genetic correlation between the phenotypes. We found that PCOS was positively correlated with T2D (rg = 31%), systolic blood pressure (rg = 12%), and pulse pressure (rg = 15%). However, we found no significant associations between the genetic risk of CVD and PCOS diagnosis in the European or African descent samples. Our findings show that the genetic architecture of PCOS has distinct metabolic sex differences, but the genetic risk of those comorbidities is not predictive of a PCOS diagnosis. This suggests that other drivers are contributing to the endocrine and cardiovascular comorbid signatures that underlie PCOS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Weghuber ◽  
Margarita Barrientos-Pérez ◽  
Margarita Kovarenko

Background: Youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing in many countries, creating large personal and societal burdens. While many primary health-care professionals (HCPs) are aware of the classic symptoms of T2D, there are several other manifestations that could indicate its presence. Summary: This narrative review summarizes information on these symptoms and indicators, focusing on those less well known. The classic symptoms and comorbidities include frequent urination, excessive thirst, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. In addition to these, the presence of dermatological (e.g., acanthosis nigricans, granuloma annulare, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, and scleredema), gynecological (e.g., polycystic ovary syndrome, oligomenorrhea, and vulvovaginitis), hepatological (e.g., nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), and psychiatric diseases (e.g., psychosis, depression, and autism) could indicate that a patient has T2D or is at increased risk of T2D. Other less well-known indicators include abnormal blood tests (e.g., oxidized lipids, inflammation markers, hepatokines, and adipokines), prescriptions for antipsychotic medications or statins, and disrupted sleep patterns. Key Message: Due to the diversity of T2D manifestations in young people, primary HCPs need to remain alert to its possible presence.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C Honigberg ◽  
Amy Sarma ◽  
Nandita Scott ◽  
Malissa J Wood ◽  
Pradeep Natarajan

Introduction: Depression is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Whether depression modifies genetic risk of cardiovascular and cardiometabolic disease is unknown. Methods: We included genotyped, unrelated European ancestry individuals in the UK Biobank. Using genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from studies external to the UK Biobank, we generated polygenic risk scores (PRS) for coronary artery disease (CAD, 74 SNPs), hypertension (75 SNPs), type 2 diabetes (T2D, 64 SNPs), atrial fibrillation (25 SNPs), and ischemic stroke (11 SNPs). Participants were stratified by PRS for each condition as low (quintile 1), intermediate (quintiles 2-4), and high (quintile 5) genetic risk. Cox models tested the association of depression frequency with each incident condition among individuals with high PRS, with adjustment for age, sex, the first 20 principal components, genotyping array, and Townsend deprivation index. Additional models further adjusted for health behaviors (exercise, tobacco and alcohol use, vegetable and fresh fruit intake) and tested associations across the PRS spectrum. Results: Among 348,083 individuals, 78,664 (22.6%) reported depression in the past 2 weeks, including 14,776 (4.2%) with depression more than half of days. Depression burden modified the risk of incident CAD across the spectrum of CAD polygenic risk (Figure 1A). Among individuals with high PRS, lack of depression was associated with lower risk of incident CAD (HR 0.70, 95% 0.58-0.86), hypertension (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.50-0.67), T2D (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.41-0.55), and atrial fibrillation (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.89) compared to those with a high burden of depression. These risk reductions were minimally attenuated after further adjustment for health behaviors (Figure 1B). Conclusions: Lower burden of depression was associated was decreased risks of cardiovascular disease among individuals at high genetic cardiovascular risk.


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