A cross-sectional study to assess any possible linkage of C/T polymorphism in CYP17A1 gene with insulin resistance in non-obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Insulin resistance (IR) is a major confounding factor in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) irrespective of obesity. Its exact mechanism remains elusive till now. C/T polymorphism in the -34 promoter region of the CYP17 gene is inconsistently attributed to elucidate the mechanism of IR and its link to hyperandrogenemia in obese PCOS patients. In the present study we aimed to evaluate any association of this polymorphism with IR in non-obese women with PCOS. METHODS: Polymorphism study was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the Msp A1 digest of the PCR product of the target gene in 75 PCOS cases against 73 age and BMI matched control women. Serum testosterone, BMI and HOMA-IR (homeostatic model of assessment-insulin resistance) were analyzed by standard techniques. A realistic cut-off value for the HOMA-IR was obtained through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for exploring any possible link between IR and T/C polymorphism in the case group. RESULTS: Significant increases in serum testosterone and HOMA-IR values were observed among the case group (P<0.001) without any significant elevation in BMI and FBG compared to controls. Cut-off value for IR in the PCOS patients was 1.40 against a maximum sensitivity of 0.83 and a minimum false positivity of 0.13. The analysis revealed an inconclusive link between the C/T polymorphic distribution and insulin resistant case subjects. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that CYP17A1 gene was not conclusively linked to either IR or its associated increased androgen secretion in non-obese women with PCOS. We propose that an increased sensitivity of insulin on the ovarian cells may be the predominant reason for the clinical effects and symptoms of androgen excess observed in non-obese PCOS patients in our region.

Safety and Efficacy of Intravenous Ferric Carboxy Maltose in Iron Deficiency Anaemia During Post-partum Period.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency is the commonest treatable cause of postpartum anaemia. Parenteral iron therapy results in faster and higher replenishment of iron stores and correction of haemoglobin levels with better compliance. Ferric Carboxy Maltose is an effective and a safe option which can be administered intravenously in single total correction dose without any serious adverse effects.The study was done to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ferric Carboxy Maltose in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in post-natal patients. METHODS: It was an open, single arm study including 615 women with diagnosis of Iron deficiency anaemia and haemoglobin (Hb) levels between 4gm% and 11gm% from January 2013 to December 2016. Intravenous Ferric Carboxy Maltose(500-1500mg) was administered and the improvement in haemoglobin levels and iron stores were assessed after three weeks of total dose infusion. RESULTS: Out of the 615 women, 595 women were included in the analysis. Most of the women were in the age group of 27-30 years. Most of the women had mild anaemia as per World Health Organisation guidelines. Mean hemoglobin levels significantly increased over a period of three weeks after Ferric Carboxy Maltose administration. Other parameters like total iron binding capacity, Ferritin and Iron also had a significant improvement after Ferric Carboxy Maltose administration. No serious adverse events were observed after Ferric Carboxy Maltose. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous Ferric Carboxy Maltose was an effective and a safe treatment option for iron deficiency anaemia and has an advantage of single administration of high doses without serious adverse effects.