Lipid peroxidation in follicular fluid of women with polycystic ovary syndrome during assisted reproduction cycles.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ovarian lipid peroxidation pattern in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-six women with PCOS who underwent in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles between January 1999 and November 2000 at the hospital IVF unit were included in the study. Seventeen regularly cycling women with male factors (oligospermia or azoospermia) were enrolled as the control group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in preovulatory follicular fluid were measured. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in follicular fluid MDA levels among the control (median, 2.23 nmol/mL; range, 0.98-4.93) and PCOS group (median, 3.53 nmol/mL; range, 1.51-4.81). Follicular fluid MDA and plasma progesterone levels correlated positively in the subjects (r = 0.55, p = 0.041) and PCOS group (r = 0.074, p = 0.0001). Plasma luteinizing hormone/follicle stimulating hormone (LH/FSH) levels correlated positively with follicular fluid MDA levels in the PCOS group (r = 0.72, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The specific ovarian lipid peroxidation profile of PCOS patients is probably related to insufficient progesterone production and higher FSH/LH levels.