Evaluation of serum telomerase activity in normal-weight young girls with polycystic ovary syndrome and its relation to metabolic parameters

Cemal Unlu; Gurhan Guney; Duygu Tugrul Ersak; Arzu Kosem; Nurten Tarlan; Aytekin Tokmak

doi:10.1515/jpem-2022-0455

Article

Evaluation of serum telomerase activity in normal-weight young girls with polycystic ovary syndrome and its relation to metabolic parameters

Cemal Unlu , Gurhan Guney , Duygu Tugrul Ersak , Arzu Kosem , Nurten Tarlan and Aytekin Tokmak

Published/Copyright: January 20, 2023

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From the journal Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 36 Issue 3

Abstract

Objectives

This study investigated the discriminative value of serum telomerase levels in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its relation to metabolic parameters.

Methods

Patients aged 16–23 years old who visited an adolescent outpatient clinic were included in the study. Our study consisted of 45 non-obese girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), while our control group consisted of 45 healthy girls with normal menstrual cycles and no signs of hyperandrogenism. During the early follicular phase, all individuals were analyzed for serum telomerase levels, blood cell count, biochemical parameters, basal hormone levels, lipid profile and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index.

Results

Serum telomerase levels in PCOS patients were considerably lower (80.0 ± 52.8 IU/mL) than in the controls (113.1 ± 54.9 IU/mL) (p=0.004). We observed that blood telomerase levels less than 108.6 distinguished PCOS group from healthy controls with a sensitivity of 73.33% and a specificity of 57.78%. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HOMA-IR index, Ferriman–Gallwey score and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate values were higher in the study group. Moreover, serum telomerase levels were inversely correlated with body mass index (r=−0.339, p=0.023) and triglycerides (r=−0.511, p=0.002) in this group. Telomerase levels were also considerably lower in patients with metabolic syndrome (p=0.005).

Conclusions

Serum telomerase activity is lower in PCOS patients than in healthy controls. Furthermore, decreased serum telomerase levels may correlate well with the metabolic complications of PCOS.

Keywords: inflammation; metabolic syndrome; polycystic ovary syndrome; telomerase; telomere length

Corresponding author: Aytekin Tokmak, Zekai Tahir Burak Women’s Health Education and Research Hospital, Talatpasa Boulevard, Hamamonu, Altindag, 06230, Ankara, Türkiye, Phone: +905056335064, Fax: +903123124931, E-mail: aytekintokmak@gmail.com

Best oral presentation award, 19th World Congress on In Vitro Fertilization in conjunction with VI, Society of Reproductive Medicine and Surgery Congress, Antalya, Turkey, October 4–8, 2017.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the patients who agreed to participate in this study.

Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: The study has been approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Board or equivalent committee.

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Received: 2022-09-08

Accepted: 2022-12-30

Published Online: 2023-01-20

Published in Print: 2023-03-28

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2022-0455

Keywords for this article

inflammation; metabolic syndrome; polycystic ovary syndrome; telomerase; telomere length