Gene Expression in Granulosa Cells From Small Antral Follicles From Women With or Without Polycystic Ovaries

Lisa Ann Owens, Stine Gry Kristensen, Avi Lerner, Georgios Christopoulos, Stuart Lavery, Aylin C Hanyaloglu, Kate Hardy, Claus Yding Andersen, Stephen Franks

    55 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    CONTEXT: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulation. A key feature of PCOS is arrest of follicles at the small- to medium-sized antral stage.

    OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To provide further insight into the mechanism of follicle arrest in PCOS, we profiled (i) gonadotropin receptors; (ii) characteristics of aberrant steroidogenesis; and (iii) expression of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and its receptor in granulosa cells (GCs) from unstimulated, human small antral follicles (hSAFs) and from granulosa lutein cells (GLCs).

    SETTING: GCs from hSAFs were collected at the time of cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation and GLCs collected during oocyte aspiration before in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

    PARTICIPANTS: We collected hSAF GCs from 31 women (98 follicles): 10 with polycystic ovaries (PCO) and 21 without. GLCs were collected from 6 women with PCOS and 6 controls undergoing IVF.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Expression of the following genes: LHCGR, FSHR, AR, INSR, HSD3B2, CYP11A1, CYP19, STAR, AMH, AMHR2, FST, INHBA, INHBB in GCs and GLCs were compared between women with PCO and controls.

    RESULTS: GCs in hSAFs from women with PCO showed higher expression of LHCGR in a subset (20%) of follicles. Expression of FSHR (P < 0.05), AR (P < 0.05), and CYP11A1 (P < 0.05) was lower, and expression of CYP19A1 (P < 0.05), STAR (P < 0.05), HSD3B2 (P = NS), and INHBA (P < 0.05) was higher in PCO GCs. Gene expression in GL cells differed between women with and without PCOS but also differed from that in GCs.

    CONCLUSIONS: Follicle arrest in PCO is characterized in GCs by differential regulation of key genes involved in follicle growth and function.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
    Volume104
    Issue number12
    Pages (from-to)6182-6192
    Number of pages11
    ISSN0021-972X
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2019

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