Changes in Serum Cytokines Throughout Pregnancy in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

CONTEXT: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with low-grade inflammation and increased incidence of pregnancy complications, but its influence on the maternal immune system in pregnancy is unknown. Longitudinal serum cytokine profiling is a sensitive measure of the complex immunological dynamics of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to determine the immunological dynamics of serum cytokines throughout pregnancy in women with PCOS and compare it to pregnancy in women without PCOS. METHODS: A post hoc analysis was conducted of longitudinal serum samples from 2 randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter studies of pregnant women with PCOS and 2 studies of pregnant women without PCOS. Pregnant women with PCOS (n = 358) and without PCOS (n = 258, controls) provided 1752 serum samples from 4 time points in pregnancy (weeks 10, 19, 32, and 36). Main outcome measures included maternal serum levels of 22 cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) at 4 time points in pregnancy. RESULTS: Women with PCOS showed marked immunological changes in serum cytokines throughout pregnancy. Compared to controls, women with PCOS showed higher levels of 17 cytokines and CRP at week 10 of pregnancy and a distinct cytokine development throughout pregnancy. The immunological dynamics in women with PCOS was significantly affected by maternal body mass index, smoking, and fetal sex. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy in women with PCOS was associated with a strong early mobilization of inflammatory and other serum cytokines persisting throughout pregnancy, indicating a more activated immune status. These findings provide a novel basis for further study of PCOS and pregnancy complications.

Cytokine Patterns in Maternal Serum From First Trimester to Term and Beyond.

Pregnancy implies delicate immunological balance between two individuals, with constant changes and adaptions in response to maternal capacity and fetal demands. We performed cytokine profiling of 1149 longitudinal serum samples from 707 pregnant women to map immunological changes from first trimester to term and beyond. The serum levels of 22 cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) followed diverse but characteristic trajectories throughout pregnancy, consistent with staged immunological adaptions. Eotaxin showed a particularly robust decrease throughout pregnancy. A strong surge in cytokine levels developed when pregnancies progressed beyond term and the increase was amplified as labor approached. Maternal obesity, smoking and pregnancies with large fetuses showed sustained increase in distinct cytokines throughout pregnancy. Multiparous women had increased cytokine levels in the first trimester compared to nulliparous women with higher cytokine levels in the third trimester. Fetal sex affected first trimester cytokine levels with increased levels in pregnancies with a female fetus. These findings unravel important immunological dynamics of pregnancy, demonstrate how both maternal and fetal factors influence maternal systemic cytokines, and serve as a comprehensive reference for cytokine profiles in normal pregnancies.

Sustained Maternal Hyperandrogenism During PCOS Pregnancy Reduced by Metformin in Non-obese Women Carrying a Male Fetus.

CONTEXT: Large, longitudinal studies on androgen levels in pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are lacking. While metformin has a mild androgen-lowering effect in non-pregnant women with PCOS, its effects on maternal androgen levels in pregnancy are less well understood. OBJECTIVE: To describe androgen patterns in pregnant women with PCOS and in healthy control women, and to explore the potential effects of metformin on maternal androgen levels in PCOS. DESIGN AND SETTING: A post hoc analysis from a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study carried out at 11 secondary care centers and a longitudinal single-center study on healthy pregnant women in Norway. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 262 women with PCOS and 119 controls. INTERVENTION: The participants with PCOS were randomly assigned to metformin (2 g daily) or placebo, from first trimester to delivery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Androstenedione (A4), testosterone (T), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and free testosterone index (FTI) at 4 time points in pregnancy. RESULTS: Women with PCOS versus healthy controls had higher A4, T, and FTI, and lower SHBG at all measured time points in pregnancy. In the overall cohort of women with PCOS, metformin had no effect on A4, T, SHBG, and FTI. In subgroup analyses, metformin reduced A4 (P = 0.019) in nonobese women. Metformin also reduced A4 (P = 0.036), T (P = 0.023), and SHBG (P = 0.010) levels through pregnancy in mothers with a male fetus. CONCLUSION: Metformin had no effect on maternal androgens in PCOS pregnancies. In subgroup analyses, a modest androgen-lowering effect was observed in nonobese women with PCOS. In PCOS women carrying a male fetus, metformin exhibited an androgen-lowering effect.

Does Metformin Treatment During Pregnancy Modify the Future Metabolic Profile in Women With PCOS?

Context: Worldwide, metformin is prescribed to improve pregnancy outcome in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin may also benefit future health by modulating increased metabolic stress during pregnancy. Objective: To investigate whether metformin during pregnancy modified future metabolic health in women with PCOS. Design: Follow-up study of a randomized controlled trial that compared metformin with placebo in women with PCOS. Mean follow-up period was 7.7 years (range, 5 to 11 years). Setting: Three university hospitals, seven local hospitals, and one gynecological specialist practice. Participants: Women with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria; all former participants in the Metformin in Pregnant PCOS Women Study. Intervention: Metformin 2000 mg daily or placebo from first trimester to delivery in the original study. No intervention in the present follow-up study. Main Outcomes and Measures: Main outcome measure was weight gain in the follow-up period. Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, and blood pressure (BP) were registered. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and fasting lipids, glucose, and insulin were analyzed. Results: Of 239 invited women, 131 (55%) participated in the follow-up. Weight gain was similar in women given metformin (2.1 ± 10.5 kg) and women given placebo (1.8 ± 11.2 kg) at 7.7 years' follow-up after pregnancy (P = 0.834). No difference was found in BMI, waist/hip ratio, BP, body composition, lipids, glucose and insulin levels, or prevalence of metabolic syndrome at follow-up between those treated with metformin and those treated with placebo during pregnancy. Conclusion: Metformin treatment during pregnancy did not influence the metabolic profile in women with PCOS at 7.7 years of follow-up.

Metformin Use in PCOS Pregnancies Increases the Risk of Offspring Overweight at 4 Years of Age: Follow-Up of Two RCTs.

Context: Metformin is used in pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and obesity. Metformin passes the placenta. Objective: To explore the effects of metformin use in PCOS pregnancies on offspring growth to 4 years of age. Design: Follow-up study of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Setting: Secondary care centers. Eleven public hospitals in Norway. Participants: One hundred eighty-two children of mothers with PCOS who participated in two randomized controlled trials. Intervention: Metformin 1700 or 2000 mg/d or placebo from first trimester to delivery in the original studies. No intervention in the current study. Main Outcome Measures: Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and overweight/obesity at 4 years of age and head circumference at 1 year of age, converted to z scores. Results: The difference in height z score means between the groups at 4 years of age was nonsignificant (0.07 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.22 to 0.36]; P = 0.651). At 4 years of age, the metformin group had higher weight z score than the placebo group [difference in means: 0.38 (0.07 to 0.69); P = 0.017] and higher BMI z score [difference in means: 0.45 (0.11 to 0.78); P = 0.010]. There were more overweight/obese children in the metformin group [26 (32%)] than in the placebo group [14 (18%)] at 4 years of age [odds ratio: 2.17 (1.04 to 4.61); P = 0.038]. The difference in mean head circumference z score at 1 year of age was 0.27 (-0.04 to 0.58; P = 0.093). Conclusion: Metformin-exposed children had higher BMI and increased prevalence of overweight/obesity at 4 years of age.

Cervical Length and Androgens in Pregnant Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Has Metformin Any Effect?

CONTEXT: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have increased risk of preterm delivery. Shortening of the cervix is a sign of preterm delivery. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate potential effect of metformin on cervical length and whether androgen levels correlate with cervical length in PCOS pregnancies. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a sub-study of a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study (The PregMet study) performed at 11 secondary or tertiary centers from 2005 to 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Two-hundred sixty-one pregnancies of 245 women with PCOS, age 18-42 years participated. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to metformin or placebo from first trimester to delivery. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: We compared cervical length and androgen levels in metformin and placebo groups at gestational weeks 19 and 32. We also explored whether cervical length correlated with androgen levels. RESULTS: We found no difference in cervical length between the metformin and the placebo groups at gestational week 19 and 32. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS) tended to be higher in the metformin group. There were no correlations between androgens and cervical length at week 19. At gestational week 32, androstenedione (P = .02) and DHEAS (P = .03) showed a trend toward negative correlation to cervical length. High androstenedione level correlated with shortening of cervical length from week 19 to 32 when adjusted for confounders (P = .003). T (P = .03), DHEAS (P = .02), and free testosterone index (P = .03) showed a similar trend. CONCLUSION: Metformin in pregnancy did not affect cervical length in women with PCOS. High maternal androgen levels correlated with cervical shortening from the second to the third trimester of pregnancy, as a sign of cervical ripening.

Maternal and fetal insulin levels at birth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: data from a randomized controlled study on metformin.

CONTEXT: Metformin is suggested to reduce pregnancy complications in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin crosses the placenta and therapeutic concentrations are measured in the fetal circulation. Whether metformin treatment in pregnant PCOS women affects maternal and fetal insulin concentrations at birth is not clarified. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible effect of metformin on insulin concentrations in umbilical cord blood and the possible association between maternal and fetal insulin concentrations. DESIGN: Post-hoc analysis of a subgroup of PCOS women participating in a double-blind randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University hospital setting. PARTICIPANTS: Women with PCOS (n=118), aged 19-39 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal and umbilical cord insulin concentrations immediately after birth. RESULTS: At delivery women randomized to metformin had lower insulin concentrations than those randomized to placebo (259±209 vs 361±261 pmol/l; P=0.020). No difference was found in insulin concentrations in umbilical venous (P=0.95) and arterial (P=0.39) blood between the metformin and placebo groups. The arteriovenous difference was also equal between the groups (P=0.38). Insulin concentrations were higher in the umbilical vein than in the umbilical artery independent of randomization (70±51 vs 45±48 pmol/l; P<0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: In PCOS, metformin treatment during pregnancy resulted in lower maternal insulin concentrations at delivery. Metformin treatment did not affect fetal insulin concentrations. Higher insulin concentrations in the umbilical vein indicate that the placenta somehow secretes insulin to the fetus. The possibility of placental insulin secretion to the fetus deserves further investigations.

Midpregnancy Doppler ultrasound of the uterine artery in metformin- versus placebo-treated PCOS women: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT: Metformin is used to reduce pregnancy complications in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), although it is not approved for this indication and solid evidence is lacking. Midpregnancy Doppler ultrasound is one of the best methods for prediction of adverse pregnancy outcome. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to investigate the following: 1) whether metformin treatment influenced the midpregnancy pulsatility index (PI) of the uterine artery; 2) whether metabolic or endocrine factors affect the PI of the uterine artery of PCOS women; and 3) whether PI predicted adverse pregnancy outcome in PCOS woman. DESIGN: This is a substudy of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter study conducted at 11 secondary care centers. We randomly assigned 273 pregnancies to receive metformin or placebo, from the first trimester of pregnancy to delivery. In the present substudy, 231 pregnancies are included, ie, those who completed the ultrasound examinations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Midpregnancy PI in the uterine artery related to metformin use, androgen levels, an oral glucose tolerance test, and insulin levels was measured. We found no difference in the PI between the metformin and placebo groups. In multivariate analyses, fasting serum glucose of the first and second trimester correlated positively to the midpregnancy PI. Only in univariate analyses a weak correlation between androstenedione and PI was seen. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin treatment did not affect uterine artery blood flow, measured by PI. High fasting blood glucose correlated inversely to uterine artery blood flow. The midpregnancy PI correlated positively to preeclampsia, hypertension, and gestational diabetes mellitus in PCOS pregnancies. Androgen levels correlated only to PI in univariate analyses.

PCOS--what matters in early pregnancy?--data from a cross-sectional, multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe patient characteristics according to different diagnostic criteria in early pregnancy, in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Descriptive, cross-sectional study of 257 women with PCOS in the first trimester of pregnancy. SETTING: Data from a multicenter trial at the time of inclusion. POPULATION: 257 PCOS women with singleton pregnancies. METHODS: Investigator-administrated questionnaires were filled out. Clinical examination was performed by the investigators. Fasting blood samples were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Biometric data, androgens, glucose and insulin levels. RESULTS: Women who met the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria for PCOS had higher body mass index (BMI), testosterone, dehydroepiandrostenedione, free testosterone index (FTI) and insulin levels compared with those who only met the Rotterdam consensus criteria. Adjusted for age and BMI, only testosterone and FTI were higher in those who met the NIH criteria. BMI was a strong, independent predictor of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in early PCOS pregnancy, while both FTI and fasting insulin were independent predictors of systolic blood pressure. Twenty-two (9%) of the participants had gestational diabetes mellitus in the first trimester of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: In the first trimester, PCOS women diagnosed according to NIH criteria were more metabolically and endocrinologically abnormal compared with those who only met the Rotterdam consensus criteria. BMI and FTI were independent predictive factors for blood pressure. There was a high prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in early PCOS pregnancies.

Metformin versus placebo from first trimester to delivery in polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized, controlled multicenter study.

CONTEXT: Metformin is widely prescribed to pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in an attempt to reduce pregnancy complications. Metformin is not approved for this indication, and evidence for this practice is lacking. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to test the hypothesis that metformin, from first trimester to delivery, reduces pregnancy complications in women with PCOS. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter study at 11 secondary care centers. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were 257 women with PCOS, in the first trimester of pregnancy, aged 18-42 yr. INTERVENTION: We randomly assigned 274 singleton pregnancies (in 257 women) to receive metformin or placebo, from first trimester to delivery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The prevalence of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm delivery, and a composite of these three outcomes is reported. RESULTS: Preeclampsia prevalence was 7.4% in the metformin group and 3.7% in the placebo group (3.7%; 95% CI, -1.7-9.2) (P=0.18). Preterm delivery prevalence was 3.7% in the metformin group and 8.2% in the placebo group (-4.4%; 95%, CI, -10.1-1.2) (P=0.12). Gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence was 17.6% in the metformin group and 16.9% in the placebo group (0.8%; 95% CI, -8.6-10.2) (P=0.87). The composite primary endpoint prevalence was 25.9 and 24.4%, respectively (1.5%; 95% CI, -8.9-11.3) (P=0.78). Women in the metformin group gained less weight during pregnancy compared with those in the placebo group. There was no difference in fetal birth weight between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin treatment from first trimester to delivery did not reduce pregnancy complications in PCOS.