No abstract

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects 5 - 10% of reproductive age women, but its pathogenesis is still poorly understood. The aim of this review is to collate evidence and summarize our current knowledge of the role of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in PCOS pathogenesis. AMH is increased and correlated with the various reproductive and metabolic/endocrine alterations in PCOS. AMH plays an inhibitory role in follicular development and recruitment, contributing to follicular arrest. AMH inhibitory action on FSH-induced aromatase production likely contributes to hyperandrogenism in PCOS, which further enhances insulin resistance in these women. Elevated serum AMH concentrations are predictive of poor response to various treatments of PCOS including weight loss, ovulation induction and laparoscopic ovarian drilling, while improvement in various clinical parameters following treatment is associated with serum AMH decline, further supporting an important role for AMH in the pathophysiology of this syndrome. This review emphasizes the need for understanding the exact mechanism of action of AMH in the pathophysiology of PCOS. This may lead to the development of new treatment modalities targeting AMH to treat PCOS, as well as help clinicians in prognostication and better tailoring existing treatments for this disease.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 5–10% of women in reproductive age and is characterized by oligo/amenorrhea, androgen excess, insulin resistance, and typical polycystic ovarian morphology. It is the most common cause of infertility secondary to ovulatory dysfunction. The underlying etiology is still unknown but is believed to be multifactorial. Insulin-sensitizing compounds such as inositol, a B-complex vitamin, and its stereoisomers (myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol) have been studied as an effective treatment of PCOS. Administration of inositol in PCOS has been shown to improve not only the metabolic and hormonal parameters but also ovarian function and the response to assisted-reproductive technology (ART). Accumulating evidence suggests that it is also capable of improving folliculogenesis and embryo quality and increasing the mature oocyte yield following ovarian stimulation for ART in women with PCOS. In the current review, we collate the evidence and summarize our current knowledge on ovarian stimulation and ART outcomes following inositol treatment in women with PCOS undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

BackgroundWomen with PCOS have elevated levels of the harmful Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), which are highly reactive molecules formed after glycation of lipids and proteins. Additionally, AGEs accumulate in the ovaries of women with PCOS potentially contributing to the well-documented abnormal steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis.Main bodyA systematic review of articles and abstracts available in PubMed was conducted and presented in a systemic manner. This article reports changes in steroidogenic enzyme activity in granulosa and theca cells in PCOS and PCOS-models. It also described the changes in AGEs and their receptors in the ovaries of women with PCOS and presents the underlying mechanism(s) whereby AGEs could be responsible for the PCOS-related changes in granulosa and theca cell function thus adversely impacting steroidogenesis and follicular development. AGEs are associated with hyperandrogenism in PCOS possibly by altering the activity of various enzymes such as cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme cytochrome P450, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, 17α-hydroxylase, and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. AGEs also affect luteinizing hormone receptor and anti-Mullerian hormone receptor expression as well as their signaling pathways in granulosa cells.ConclusionsA better understanding of how AGEs alter granulosa and theca cell function is likely to contribute meaningfully to a conceptual framework whereby new interventions to prevent and/or treat ovarian dysfunction in PCOS can ultimately be developed.

SUMMARYOsseous metaplasia of the endometrium is a rare disorder associated with the presence of bone in the uterine endometrium. Most patients with this condition presenting with infertility do so owing to the presence of a foreign body in the endometrium. We report a case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with secondary infertility due to osseous metaplasia in the endometrial cavity. She conceived spontaneously after hysteroscopic removal of the bony fragments from the uterus. Uterine osseous metaplasia is a rare cause of infertility that can be easily managed by hysteroscopic removal of the bony fragments, which results in return of fertility. BACKGROUND