What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and leukocyte telomere length in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

June 17, 2026

Shortened Telomere Length in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes From Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Insulin Resistance

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This research aims to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and leukocyte telomere length in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
One hundred patients with PCOS and 44 controls were recruited.
Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples, and leukocyte telomere length was assessed using real-time qPCR.
Patients were categorized into insulin resistant and non-insulin resistant groups based on HOMA-IR index.
Relative telomere length was significantly shorter in the PCOS group than in controls (p = 0.026).
In the insulin resistant group, telomere length was shorter compared to controls (p = 0.004) and non-insulin resistant group (p = 0.032).
Statistical significance remained after age adjustment, indicating longer telomeres correlate with lower disease risk.

Resumen

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common, heterogeneous female endocrine disorder. Although its etiology and pathogenesis are complex, PCOS has been shown to be associated with altered leukocyte telomere length (LTL). The relationship between insulin resistance (IR)-a common manifestation and possible pathogenic factor in PCOS-and LTL remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred patients with PCOS and 44 controls were recruited. Anthropometric, clinical, biochemical parameters, and blood samples were collected. Patients with PCOS were divided by Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) index into IR and non-IR (NIR). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and the relative LTL was determined using real-time qPCR. RESULTS: The relative LTL was shorter in the PCOS group than that in the control group (p = 0.026), and LTL was significantly shorter in the IR group than that in the control group (p = 0.004). LTL was also shorter in the IR group than in the NIR group (p = 0.032), whereas there was no significant change in LTL in the NIR group compared with controls. Statistically significant differences persisted even after adjusting for age. Individuals with relatively longer LTL have a lower risk of disease compared to those with shorter LTL. In addition, we found that in the PCOS group, relative LTL was correlated with FINS and HOMA-IR, while in the PCOS-IR group, relative LTL was correlated with E2. CONCLUSIONS: The relative LTL in peripheral blood leukocytes was shorter in patients with PCOS than in healthy subjects, and telomere shortening was more pronounced in those with IR.

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