title: Plasma homocysteine and polycystic ovary syndrome: the missed link.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and increased serum homocysteine in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety PCOS women as a study group and 35 women with infertility due to other causes as a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum homocysteine levels in the presence and absence of insulin resistance in PCOS patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homocysteine levels were significantly higher in PCOS patients than in the controls. Considering 11 micromol/l as the cut-off level for a normal homocysteine level, 41.1% of PCOS patients (37 out of 90) and 2.9% of control group (1 out of 35) had high homocysteine levels. With regard to insulin resistance, 23% of PCOS patients without insulin resistance (9 out of 39) had a high homocysteine level, while 47% of PCOS patients with insulin resistance (24 out of 51) had this, thus demonstrating the effect of insulin resistance on the homocysteine level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a strong association between serum homocysteine and insulin resistance in women with PCOS that contributes to the long-term complications of PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mansoura University Hospitals, Mansoura, Egypt. Electronic address: ambadawy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badawy
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Omnia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: State
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Mansoura University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Soma Sh Abd
authors.initials: SSA
authors.lastname: El Gawad
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Mansoura University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Omar Abd
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: El Aziz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D006710:Homocysteine