Clinical and Laboratory Indicators of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Chinese Han Nationality with Different Rotterdam Criteria-Based Phenotypes

The study examined 647 Chinese Han women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), divided into four groups based on Rotterdam criteria phenotypes, and compared them to a control group of 60 women. It found that the most common and severe phenotype, Group A, which met all three Rotterdam criteria, had higher androgen levels and hirsutism scores. Groups C and D had milder PCOS phenotypes but still showed increased luteinizing hormone (LH) and LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratios compared to controls. Insulin resistance was linked with lipid profiles across all PCOS subtypes and correlated with serum total testosterone and LH/FSH ratio in Group A. The study concluded that hyperandrogenism is a key factor in distinguishing PCOS phenotypes and that metabolic disorder severity may differ among these subtypes.