Study finds Lower serum and follicular fluid prolidase levels activity in women with PCOS undergoing assisted conception

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-aged women, affects around 3–15% of women in this age group. It is frequently linked to long-term conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and infertility, with about 70% of affected women suffering from infertility. Recent study investigated prolidase activity in the serum and follicular fluid (FF) of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatment, comparing them to those with normal ovarian function. The study aimed to examine prolidase levels and their potential association with PCOS and assisted conception outcomes. A total of 50 participants were initially enrolled, with 44 included in the final analysis. Serum and FF prolidase levels were measured using spectrophotometric analysis, and correlations with various clinical parameters were explored.

Research Findings

The results revealed that serum and FF prolidase levels were significantly lower in patients with PCOS compared to those with normal ovarian function. Additionally, a direct correlation was observed between serum and FF prolidase levels. The study also found a negative correlation between serum prolidase levels and total antral follicle count, while serum and FF prolidase levels were positively correlated with blastocyst quality scoring (BQS). Despite lower BQS in PCOS patients, no statistical difference was observed in the clinical pregnancy rate between the groups. The findings suggest that patients with PCOS showed abnormal degradation of ovarian and follicular collagen, potentially leading to anovulation. The study's implications indicate the potential role of prolidase in the pathophysiology of PCOS and its therapeutic applications. The authors recommended future studies with larger participant numbers to confirm the results and suggested measuring manganese levels to strengthen the findings. Limitations of the study included the small sample size and the absence of PCOS subgroups analysis.

Conclusion

Overall, the study provided valuable insights into the relationship between prolidase activity and PCOS, shedding light on the abnormal degradation of ovarian and follicular collagen in PCOS patients undergoing assisted conception. The research contributes to the understanding of PCOS pathophysiology and suggests potential implications for therapeutic interventions. Please note that this summary is a factual and objective representation of the study's main points and findings.

Key Points

- The study aimed to investigate prolidase activity in the serum and follicular fluid of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatment and compare them to those with normal ovarian function.

- A total of 50 participants were initially enrolled, with 44 included in the final analysis. Serum and follicular fluid prolidase levels were measured using spectrophotometric analysis, and correlations with various clinical parameters were explored.

- The results revealed that serum and follicular fluid prolidase levels were significantly lower in patients with PCOS compared to those with normal ovarian function. There was also a direct correlation between serum and follicular fluid prolidase levels.

- The study found a negative correlation between serum prolidase levels and total antral follicle count, while serum and follicular fluid prolidase levels were positively correlated with blastocyst quality scoring (BQS). Despite lower BQS in PCOS patients, no statistical difference was observed in the clinical pregnancy rate between the groups.

- The findings suggest that patients with PCOS showed abnormal degradation of ovarian and follicular collagen, potentially leading to anovulation. The study's implications indicate the potential role of prolidase in the pathophysiology of PCOS and its therapeutic applications.

- The authors recommended future studies with larger participant numbers to confirm the results and suggested measuring manganese levels to strengthen the findings. Limitations of the study included the small sample size and the absence of PCOS subgroups analysis. Overall, the study sheds light on the abnormal degradation of ovarian and follicular collagen in PCOS patients undergoing assisted conception, contributing to the understanding of PCOS pathophysiology and suggesting potential implications for therapeutic interventions.

Reference –

Kadriye Erdoğan, Emine Utlu Özen, İnci Kahyaoğlu, Salim Neselioglu, Özcan Erel, Serra Akar, Özhan Özdemir, Cihangir Mutlu Ercan & Yaprak Engin Üstün (2024) Prolidase activity in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing assisted conception, Journal of

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 44:1, 2346228, DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2024.2346228