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Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology... Aug 2020Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in reproductive-aged women. It is reported that intrauterine exposure to hyperandrogenism... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in reproductive-aged women. It is reported that intrauterine exposure to hyperandrogenism may induce the development of PCOS and associated complications in later life. To analyze the intrauterine androgen levels in infants born to PCOS mothers, we evaluated the androgen levels in fetal cord blood through a meta-analysis of observational studies.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The following online databases were systematically searched: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library databases and Web of Science up to December 2019. Human studies compared cord blood androgen levels, including testosterone (T) and androstenedione (ADION), in fetal cord blood of mothers with and without PCOS. Statistical analysis was performed in Review Manager, Version 5.3, with the inverse variance method based on a random-effects model.
RESULTS
A total of 7 articles were scrutinized and a total of 570 samples including 268 female and 222 male infants were qualified for review. In the mass spectrograph (MS) subgroup, PCOS mothers showed no signs of increased T concentration in umbilical cord blood at birth (4 studies; hazard ratio [HR] = - 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [- 0.33,0.24]; I = 7%; P = 0.75; fixed-effects model). ADION level tends to be lower in daughters' cord blood of PCOS mothers (3 studies; HR = -0.59; 95%CI = [- 1.00, - 0.19]; I = 0%; P = 0.004; fixed-effects model).
CONCLUSIONS
Fetal cord blood T level is not related to PCOS, while ADION levels tend to be lower in the cord blood of daughters born to mothers with PCOS.
Topics: Adult; Androgens; Child; Child of Impaired Parents; Female; Fetal Blood; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Observational Studies as Topic; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
PubMed: 32782029
DOI: 10.1186/s12958-020-00634-8 -
Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical... Aug 2020The functions of androgen and connexin in the mammalian female reproductive system are suggested to be related. Previous research has shown that androgen affects...
The functions of androgen and connexin in the mammalian female reproductive system are suggested to be related. Previous research has shown that androgen affects connexin expression in the female reproductive system, altering its function. However, no definitive conclusion on their cause-effect relationship has been drawn yet. In addition, a high prevalence of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), who are characterized by elevated androgen levels and failure of ovulation, has prompted the studies on the relationship between androgen and connexin in the ovaries. This systematic review aims to investigate the effect of androgen on connexin expression in the mammalian female reproductive system. The literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE via EBSCOhost and the Scopus database and the following keywords: "androgen" or "testosterone" or "androgen blocker" or "anti-androgen" or "androstenedione" or "dehydroepiandrosterone" or "flut-amide AND connexin" or "gap junction" or "cell junction". We only considered in vitro and in vivo studies that involved treatment by androgen or androgen receptor blockers and measured connexin expression as one of the parameters. Our review showed that the exposure to androgen or androgen blocker affects connexin expression but not its localization in the mammalian ovary. However, it is not clear whether androgen downregulates or upregulates connexin expression.
Topics: Androgen Antagonists; Androgens; Animals; Connexins; Female; Genitalia, Female; Humans; Mammals; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Receptors, Androgen
PubMed: 31881167
DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2019.4501