Assessment of effects of epigenetic factors on the metabolic and nutritional profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

• Grant number: 24/03317-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Anderson Marliere Navarro
• Grantee: Luiza Mendonça Duarte
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial endocrine-metabolic disease, which affects women in reproductive age, and it's characterized by both ovarian dysfunction and hyperandrogenism. It's the main cause of infertility, affecting between 6 and 13% of women in the world. According to the Rotterdam Consensus, the diagnosis criteria for this disease includes anovulation, hyperandrogenism and the presence of micropolycystic ovaries (MPCO). Hyperandrogenism, particularly, is present in three of four possible phenotypes of PCOS, and it's related with insulin resistance (IR) and hyperinsulinemia. In addition, the main complications of PCOS can be divided into reproductives, metabolics and psychological. Obesity, the principal metabolic complication, is prevalent in 50 to 80% of women diagnosed with PCOS, and plays an important role in physiopathological and inflammatory mechanisms of the disease. It's important to highlight the straight contribution of epigenetic factors in the physiopathology of PCOS, as endocrine disruptors, chronic stress and unbalanced diet. Therefore, PCOS is a complex condition, which involves the interaction between genetic, endocrine, metabolic and epigenetic factors, and the comprehension of these elements is crucial for both diagnosis and management efficacy of the syndrome. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the effects of the most common epigenetic factors in patients diagnosed with PCOS attended in Integrated Center of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (CISOP) of Ribeirão Preto Clinical Hospital (HCRP - USP), identifying and characterizing the most prevalent phenotypes and metabolic profiles in patients diagnosed attended by this center. For this purpose, personal data, anthropometry, biochemical and ultrasonography exams of 41 patients previously diagnosed with PCOS will be collected. Thereafter, the data will be organized in online sheets, and both statistical tests and analysis will be performed by GraphPad Prism 8.