Dysbiotic alteration in the fecal microbiota of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disease associated with high androgen and infertility. The gut microbiota plays an important role in metabolic diseases including obesity, hyperglycemia, and fatty liver. Although the gut microbiota has been associated with PCOS, little is known about the gut microbial structure and function in individuals with PCOS from Northeast China. In this study, 17 PCOS individuals and 17 age-matched healthy individuals were recruited for community structure and function analysis of the gut microbiota. The results showed that PCOS individuals have reduced diversity and richness of the gut microbiota compared with healthy individuals. Beta diversity analysis showed that the community structure of the gut microbiota of individuals with PCOS was significantly separated from healthy individuals. At the phylum level, PCOS individuals have reduced