Parallel variations of insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) and Antimüllerian Hormone (AMH) in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome according to menstrual cycle pattern

Abstract

Context: Antimüllerian hormone (AMH) and insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) represent ovarian functional markers of granulosa and theca cells, respectively. Objective: We conducted a prospective study to investigate AMH and INSL3 plasma levels in 3 groups of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) classified according to menstrual cyclicity pattern and their relationship with ovarian morphology and hormonal levels. Design and Participants: AMH and INSL3 were measured in a cohort of 57 patients with PCOS, divided into 3 groups according to menstrual status: eumenorrheic (PCOS-E, n = 15), oligomen-orrheic(PCOS-O, n = 25), and amenorrheic(PCOS-A, n = 17). Clinical and endocrine characteristics and ovarian morphology were compared among the groups. Twenty-seven age- and weight-matched women without hyperandrogenism were included as controls. Results: According to the menstrual pattern, the women with PCOS-A and PCOS-O had higher INSL3 levels with respect to the control women (P =.025 and P =.004, respectively) and higher but not significant INSL3 levels compared with those of the women with PCOS-E. AMH levels were significantly higher in women with PCOS-A and PCOS-O with respect to those in women with PCOS-E (P