Background: Metabolic
abnormalities have been widely studied in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS) and in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, there are few studies on the comparison
of the metabolic disturbances between the two diseases although they have
partly common pathogenesis. This study compares the metabolic parameters of PCOS and T2DM, and evaluates the
association between metabolic parameters and gonadotropic hormones. Methods: Fifity newly diagnosed PCOS
women and 56 newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes women were enrolled in the study.
The metabolic parameters including body mass index, waist to hip ratio, blood
pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density and low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, fasting and
postprandial plasma insulin, HOMA-IR index and uric acid, along with the
gonadal and gonadotropic hormones were analyzed between the two groups. The
lutein hormone (LH) responses to the GnRH stimulating test were compared
between different glucose tolerance groups in PCOS women. The peak values of LH
in the GnRH test are studied with metabolic parameters using Pearson
correlation analysis. Results: PCOS
patients have higher body weight index, waist to hip ratio, fasting and
postprandial insulin, HOMA-IR and
uric acid than T2DM patients. There are no significant differences in lipid
metabolism excluding the age influence. On the other hand, T2DM patients have
significantly higher systolic blood pressure and plasma glucose than those in
PCOS patients. But there is less clinical significance in the level of plasma
glucose. After GnRH injection in PCOS women, there are significant differences in LH reaction between the three groups
with different glucose tolerance. Conclusion:
Women with PCOS have more severe metabolic disturbance than women with
T2DM except for systolic blood pressure.
Insulin resistance affects the function of thalamus-pituitary-gonad axis.