Common genetic aspects between polycystic ovary syndrome and diabetes mellitus

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex and heterogeneous disease that involves menstrual dysfunction and reproductive difficulty as well as metabolic problems. From a genetic point of view, it is a complex disease that is subject to environmental influences, mainly dietary, which makes it similar to other metabolic processes, such as diabetes and obesity. So, the interest of the diagnosis of the PCOS is, not only to improve fertility but to prevent possible future medical complications like the diabetes mellitus and the obesity. Due to the classical definition of PCOS as functional hyperandrogenism, the race to discover genetic alterations that could lead to the development of PCOS started with the androgen metabolism genes. However, the list of candidates was later expanded to other genes outside this hormonal pathway, and it now includes genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as well as those involved in inflammatory processes.

The list of genes candidates involved in PCOS is related to diabetes and inflammatory processes.