Altered glucose disposition and insulin sensitivity in peri-pubertal first-degree relatives of women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
BACKGROUND
First-degree relatives (FDRs) of women with PCOS are at increased risk for impaired insulin sensitivity and diabetes mellitus. Glucose tolerant FDR have evidence of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia prior to emergence of frank PCOS.


OBJECTIVE
To study insulin dynamics parameters in the early adolescent FDR of women with PCOS.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study involving 18 adolescents whose mothers or sisters had been diagnosed with PCOS and 21 healthy, age-matched control adolescents without FDR. Subjects underwent anthropometric measurements, steroid profiling and frequently sampled Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test (IVGTT), Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) index, Glucose Disposal Index (GDI), Acute Insulin Response (AIR) and Quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) were derived from IVGTT results.


RESULTS
FDRs showed significantly higher mean HOMA and lower GDI. There were no differences in mean age or BMI Z-score between the cohorts. No differences in sex steroids or AIR were identified between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Female adolescent FDR of women with PCOS have higher HOMA index and lower QUICKI, reflecting altered insulin sensitivity and lower GDI reflecting poorer beta-cell function. The presence of multiple risk factors for type 2 diabetes suggests that aggressive screening of the early adolescent FDR of women with PCOS is indicated.
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Infants and Children's Hospital of Brooklyn at Maimonides & SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 1068 48th St, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA. Tenlana@aol.com.
Nouhad
N
Raissouni
Andrey
A
Kolesnikov
Radhika
R
Purushothaman
Sunil
S
Sinha
Sonal
S
Bhandari
Amrit
A
Bhangoo
Shahid
S
Malik
Revi
R
Mathew
Jean-Patrice
JP
Baillargeon
Maria Isabel
MI
Hernandez
Michael
M
Rosenbaum
Svetlana
S
Ten
David
D
Geller