The prevalence and phenotypic manifestations of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among infertile Sudanese women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a global health problem associated with significant morbidity during reproductive age. Only a few published studies that address the clinical manifestations and phenotypic presentation of the disease have been conducted in Africa, including Sudan. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical and biochemical presentation of the different PCOS phenotypes among infertile Sudanese women. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted from January to December 2019. A total of 368 infertile women with PCOS (based on the Rotterdam criteria) were recruited from a fertility center in Khartoum, Sudan. Clinical, hormonal, and ultrasonographic characteristics were described and compared between the four phenotypes of PCOS. RESULTS: Majority (321 [87.2%]) of the women had oligo/anovulation (OA). Polycystic ovary morphology on ultrasound appeared in 236 (64.1%) women, acne in 171 (46.5%) women, acanthosis nigricans in 81 (22.0%) women, and hirsutism in 101 (27.4%) women. Phenotype D was the most prevalent among infertile Sudanese women (51.6%), followed by phenotype B (22.6%), phenotype C (18.2%), and phenotype A (7.6%). No statistical differences in the body mass index and hormonal profile between the four phenotypes were noted. Women with phenotype A were older and had high mean blood pressure, and a higher waist/hip ratio was observed among women with phenotype D. CONCLUSION: Unlike the global distribution of PCOS phenotypes, Sudanese women uniquely expressed phenotype D as the most prevalent. More epidemiological studies are needed in the region due to geographical, ethnic, and genetic variations.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a global health problem associated with significant drawbacks during reproductive life. Few published studies have been conducted in Africa (including Sudan) addressing the clinical manifestations and phenotypic presentation of the disease. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and biochemical presentation of the different PCOS phenotypes among infertile Sudanese women. A total of 368 infertile women with PCOS from a fertility center in Khartoum, Sudan, participated in the study. Clinical, hormonal, and ultrasonographic characteristics were described and compared between the four phenotype groups of PCOS. In this regard, Sudanese women uniquely expressed phenotype D as the most prevalent, and this does not match with the global distribution of PCOS phenotypes. Moreover, women with phenotype A were older and had high mean blood pressure, and a higher waist/hip ratio was observed among women with phenotype D. More epidemiological studies on this subject are needed in the region due to geographical, ethnic, and genetic variations.

Taurine prevents high-fat diet-induced-hepatic steatosis in rats by direct inhibition of hepatic sterol regulatory element-binding proteins and activation of AMPK.

This study investigated if the protective effect of taurine against high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis involves modulating the hepatic activity of 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and levels/activity of the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins-1/2 (SREBP1/2). Rats were divided into four groups (n = 12/group) as (a) STD, fed standard diet (3.85 kcal/g); (b) STD + taurine (500 mg/kg); (c) HFD, fed HFD (4.73 kcal/g); and (d) HFD + taurine. All treatments were conducted for 12 weeks. Independent of food intake or modulating glucose or insulin levels, taurine administration to STD and HFD-fed rats significantly lowered weekly weight gain and the accumulation of the retroperitoneal, visceral and subcutaneous fats. In both groups, taurine also reduced serum and hepatic levels of triglycerides and cholesterol and reduced hepatic mRNA and protein levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl CoA carboxylase-1 (ACC-1), HMG-CoA-reductase and HMG-CoA synthetase. In control rats only, taurine reduced hepatic levels of mature forms of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP)-1/2. In HFD-fed rats, taurine reduced SREBP-1/2 precursor and mature forms in the livers of HFD-fed rats. Besides, taurine significantly increased levels of glutathione (GSH), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the activity of AMPK and its downstream ß-oxidation genes including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT-1) in the livers of both the control and HFD-fed rats. In conclusion, taurine protects against HFD-induced hepatic steatosis stimulating antioxidant levels, and concomitant stimulating hepatic ß-oxidation and suppressing lipid synthesis, mediated by activation of AMPK and suppression of SREBP-1.

Impact of High Altitude on Maternal Serum Leptin Level and its Correlation With Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Inflammatory Markers in Preeclamptic Women.

Involvement of leptin in the pathogensis of preeclampsia (PE) is still a controversy subject. Several researches reported the changes in serum leptin in high altitude (HA) residents. The aim of the present work was to investigate the impact of oxidative stress (OS) induced by HA residence on maternal serum leptin in PE and if there was a significant correlation between the serum leptin with either OS or endothelial inflammatory markers. One hundred fifty eight pregnant women were included in this study, divided into: low altitude normal pregnancies (NL), HA normal pregnancies (NH), low altitude preeclamptic (PL), and HA preeclamptic (PH) who presented to the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic in both Muhayl (500 m over sea level) and Abha General Hospitals (all of them resident at Alsoda district with the average altitude 2700 m over sea level). Serum leptin, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma nitrite/nitrate (NOx), serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were determined. Both NH and PL groups showed significant increases in leptin (P < 0.01), SOD (P < 0.01), MDA (P < 0.001), NOx (P < 0.001), TNF-α (P < 0.001) and IL-6 (P < 0.001) compared with the NL group without any significant changes between both groups. The PH group showed significant accentuation of the previously measured parameters (P < 0.001 for all) compared with all other groups (NL, NH and PL groups). We can conclude that the combination of PE and HA residence resulted in significantly elevated maternal serum leptin suggesting involvement of leptin in the pathogenesis of PE accentuated by HA residence.