Steroid profiles in ovarian follicular fluid in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome, analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

OBJECTIVE To compare steroid concentrations and steroid product-to-precursor ratios in ovarian follicular fluid (FF) from women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and from regularly menstruating women in their early follicular phase, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Polycystic ovary syndrome involves abnormal regulation of the steroidogenic enzymes, leading to arrest of follicle development. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING University hospital clinic. PATIENT(S) Follicular fluid from size-matched ovarian follicles (5-8 mm) in 27 nonstimulated women with PCOS and in 21 women without PCOS was sampled. Thirteen steroids were quantitated from 40 μL of FF, using LC-MS/MS. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Concentrations of steroids in the FF and product-to-precursor ratios (enzyme activity) were compared between the groups. RESULT(S) In women with PCOS, ovarian FF contained higher concentrations of individual and total androgens, lower individual and total estrogens (E), and a lower total E-to-androgen ratio, compared with regularly menstruating women. The product-to-precursor concentration ratios indicated higher CYP17-linked and lower CYP19-linked (aromatase) enzyme activity. Receiver operating characteristic plots indicated the early CYP17 step (17-OH5P/5P) being highly important for the prevalence of PCOS (c=0.95). CONCLUSION(S) The women with PCOS had higher ovarian CYP17-linked and lower CYP19-linked (aromatase) enzyme activity, confirming previous data. Multiple steroid assessments from minute volumes including FF from nonstimulated ovaries, using LC-MS/MS, might be useful in research, clinical endocrinology, and in IVF.