PCOS Patients' Immune Alterations

PCOS patients and healthy women were recruited in outpatient clinics of three hospitals, and peripheral blood was retained for flow cytometry after completing relevant examinations. In this study, flow cytometry was used to detect the antigenic antibody reaction between the surface differentiation antigen of lymphocyte membrane and fluorescence-labeled antibody in human peripheral blood, and the unlabeled cells were dissolved. The number and percentage of cell groups expressing different markers were counted by the fluorescence detection system on flow cytometry.

Inclusion criteria

• Female subjects aged 18-45 years;
• Voluntarily participate in the experiment, willing to sign the informed consent.
• According to the Rotterdam consensus, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) needs to meet the presence of two of three of the following criteria: oligo-anovulation, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovaries (≥ 12 follicles measuring 2-9 mm in diameter and/or an ovarian volume > 10 mL in at least one ovary).

Exclusion criteria

• Female patients younger than 18 years old or older than 45 years old;
• Ovulation disorders caused by premature ovarian failure, pituitary amenorrhea, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and thyroid dysfunction (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism);
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Cushing's syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, adrenal tumors, and other diseases causing hyperandrogenemia;
• Severe liver and kidney dysfunction (more than 3 times the normal value)
• Type 1 diabetes, monogenic mutation diabetes, diabetes due to pancreatic injury or other secondary diabetes;
• History of malignant tumor;
• Severe infection, severe anemia, neutropenia, and other chronic diseases of the system;
• Patients undergoing total hysterectomy or ovarian adnexectomy;
• Mental illness, dementia, or other cognitive behavioral problems;
• Hypoglycemic drugs that may affect insulin resistance and androgen levels, including thiazolidinedione, metformin, SGLT-2i, acarbose, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), have been used in the past 3 months;
• Take letrozole, clomiphene, oral contraceptives, glucocorticoids, gonadotropins, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, antiandrogens (spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, flutamide, etc.), and other medications for PCOS treatment within the last 3 months.
• Pregnant or lactating patients;
• Female patients with a BMI less than 20kg/m2.