Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * All the subjects would be of Indian origin (controls \~100, cases \~100). They would be in their reproductive age (18-45 yrs). Rotterdam consensus would be used to diagnose PCOS and cases will be selected based on it. Criteria for the diagnosis of PCOS would include oligo-ovulation cycles longer than 35 days or less than 26 days, elevated free testosterone levels (0.5 ng/dl; the cutof level for free testosterone level was the mean±2 SD according to normal levels in controls), oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. A Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) score of≥7 would be taken as indicator for the presence of hirsutism. In accordance with the above criteria, polycystic ovary morphology would be determined by transvaginal ultrasonography, which defines PCOS as the presence of 12 or more small (2-9 mm) follicles in each ovary. Control subjects would have no signs of menstrual dysfunction and their androgen levels should be within the normal range, with normal glucose tolerance, and no family history of hirsutism, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and infertility. Exclusion Criteria: * Women with other causes of hyperandrogenism such as hyperprolactinemia, androgen-secreting tumors, Cushing syndrome and nonclassic congenital hyperplasia would be excluded from this study.