Activation of Nuclear Factor κB in Response to Cream Ingestion Is Related to Ovarian Androgen Hypersecretion in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

In 2013, several studies were conducted on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and its relation to various factors. One study found that women with PCOS had a significantly higher weight, BMI, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR values. After adjusting for BMI, these patients were found to have a significantly lower basal metabolic rate (BMR) and lower lean body mass and skeletal muscle mass, particularly in the legs. This could potentially lead to a lower metabolism and obesity related to PCOS. Another study found that 22% of 254 patients with PCOS had clinical evidence of Androgenic Alopecia (AGA). AGA was associated with other manifestations of clinical hyperandrogenism, but not with greater risk of biochemical or metabolic abnormalities than PCOS alone. A third study found that in PCOS, NFKB activation in response to cream ingestion was independent of obesity and speculated that lipid-induced inflammation promotes insulin resistance and ovarian androgen production. Lastly, a study suggested that Non-Esterified Fatty Acids (NEFA) might be implicated in the androgenesis of non-PCOS women by a mechanism linked to inflammation. PCOS women had similar NEFA levels but higher levels of androgen and IL-6, suggesting that NEFA induce more lipotoxicity in these women or that NEFA-induced lipotoxicity may have more impact on androgenesis in PCOS.