title: Decreased serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity: an additional risk factor for atherosclerotic heart disease in patients with PCOS?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have an increased risk for the development of hypertension and atherosclerotic heart disease (AHD), the pathophysiological mechanisms of which are not clear. Paraoxonase1 (PON1) is a high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme that prevents oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein. The aim of this study was to measure the serum levels of PON1 activity in patients with PCOS and to compare with those of regularly cycling controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum lipid parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and PON1 activity, were measured in PCOS patients (n = 23) and regularly cycling, age-, body mass index- and smoking status-matched controls (n = 23). All patients had normal glucose tolerance test as assessed by a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. None of the patients had clinically evident hypertension or AHD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Apart from the mean serum PON1 activity, all parameters in the lipid profile including serum MDA levels were comparable between the two groups. There were no significant differences in respect to fasting glucose (4.64 +/- 0.5 versus 4.43 +/- 0.83 mmol/l) and fasting glucose insulin ratio (11.06 +/- 8.26 versus 11.49 +/- 4.90) among the two groups (P > 0.05). However, HOMA insulin resistance index was significantly higher in patients with PCOS compared with the controls (2.06 +/- 0.86 versus 1.51 +/- 0.49; P = 0.01). Also, mean serum PON1 activity was significantly lower in the PCOS group compared with the controls (151.2 +/- 90.8 versus 217.7 +/- 101.6, respectively; P = 0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced serum PON1 activity might contribute to the increased susceptibility for the development of AHD in women with PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Polat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dursun
authors.forename: Ezgi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayrak
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yarali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase