PhD Dissertation at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
As part of the activities of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, a PhD dissertation defense was held at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon, by the candidate Taqa Hazem Abdullah, entitled:
“Molecular Study of the Fetuin Gene in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Babylon Province”,
under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Dr. Zina Ali Abbas and Prof. Dr. Soha Jasim Watut.
The session was attended by the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Mohanad Abbass Al-Shalalah, along with a number of faculty members from the department, researchers, academics, and postgraduate students.
During her defense, the researcher explained that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an ovarian disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology. The androgens secreted by both the ovary and adrenal gland may interfere with the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis. Moreover, patients with PCOS often suffer from metabolic abnormalities such as hyperinsulinemia, which contributes to the development of hyperandrogenemia.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between genetic polymorphisms (rs4918 G/C and rs1071592 A/C) and the pathogenesis of PCOS, as well as to assess the relationship of Fetuin-A levels with PCOS.
The concentrations of fetuin-A, insulin, testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). DNA was extracted from whole blood, and genotyping of the single nucleotide polymorphisms was performed using sequencing techniques. Genotyping was carried out with specific primers for fragment amplification, and products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Finally, various statistical analyses were applied to evaluate the data.
The findings revealed that Fetuin-A levels were significantly elevated in patients with PCOS compared to the control group (P < 0.05). There were also significant differences in mean fasting blood sugar (FBS) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c %) between PCOS patients and controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, insulin levels and insulin resistance (IR) were significantly higher in the PCOS group (P < 0.05).
The current results also showed alterations in the lipid profile, where mean cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the PCOS group compared to the control group.