title: Homocysteine levels and C677T polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the homocysteine (Hcy) levels and the C677T polymorphism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), a crucial factor of the Hcy metabolism in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Seventy young women with PCOS and another 70 healthy women with low folate intake were enrolled. Cases and controls were matched for age, body mass index, and allele frequency. Hcy, vitamin B(12), and folate levels were measured, and a genetic analysis of 5,10-MTHFR at nucleotide 677 was performed in all subjects. No difference in mean Hcy levels was observed between PCOS women in comparison to the control group. Considering the different MTHFR polymorphism, no significant difference was found in serum Hcy levels between subjects with PCOS and controls showing CC (10.4 +/- 3.1 vs. 9.7 +/- 2.9 micromol/liter +/- SD) and CT genotypes (10.9 +/- 3.8 vs. 11.0 +/- 3.2 micromol/liter +/- SD). In subjects with a TT homozygous state, a significant (P < 0.05) difference was observed between PCOS and control women (11.5 +/- 3.9 vs. 22.0 +/- 7.8 micromol/liter +/- SD). In conclusion, our data show that in PCOS women, the serum Hcy levels are normal, and the C677T polymorphism of MTHFR does not influence the Hcy levels like in controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular & Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy. f.orio@tin.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orio
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palomba
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Biase
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colao
authors.forename: Libuse
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tauchmanova
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savastano
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labella
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2); D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D006710:Homocysteine; D000587:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)