The impact of Dicer, Drosha, and Exportin-5 levels in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis and phenotyping

Abstract

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common heterogeneous endocrine and gynaecological disease in reproductive women. Early identification and treatment of patients are necessary to prevent future cardiometabolic and reproductive complications. In our study, we aimed to investigate whether Drosha, Exportin-5 (XPO5), and Dicer, which are involved in miRNA formation, are useful markers in the diagnosis of the disease. Material and methods: Patients who presented to our clinic with complaints such as menstrual irregularity, hirsutism, and acne were diagnosed with polycystic ovary after excluding other possible diagnoses, and if they meet two-thirds of the Rotterdam diagnostic criteria, they were included in the study. Thirty patients with polycystic ovaries and 35 healthy controls were included in this study. Results: The mean values of XPO5, Drosha, and Dicer markers were significantly higher in the PCOS group when compared with the control group. With an XPO5 value > 1.70, we found the PCOS with 94% probability, 86.7% sensitivity, and 91.4% specificity. Moreover, if the Drosha value was > 0.166, it was expected that the patient would be diagnosed as PCOS with a probability of 75%, with 66.7% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity. A statistically significant cut-off value could not be obtained for Dicer. Conclusions: In our study, the levels of all three markers were found to be significantly higher in the PCOS group compared to the control group. It suggests that they can be used in the early diagnosis of PCOS patients without full-blown disease. However, this preliminary study should be supported by larger-scale studies.