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Are Heavy Metal Exposure and Trace Element Levels Related to Metabolic and Endocrine Problems in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

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A Correction to this article was published on 20 November 2020

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the relationship between the metabolic and endocrinological pathologies in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the levels of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, mercury, antimony, zinc, and copper to evaluate the relationship of these toxic metals with inflammatory/oxidative parameters. This study included a total of 154 patients (84 with PCOS, 70 healthy volunteers). Metabolic and endocrine parameters and arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, mercury, antimony, zinc, and copper serum levels of the patients were compared between the groups. Considering the action mechanism of toxic metals, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HsCRP) levels were determined. Serum TAS (p = 0.002), OSI (p = 0.006), SOD (p = 0.006), zinc (p = 0.010), and copper (p = 0.030) values were statistically lower whereas TOS (p = 0.008), MDA (p < 0.001), HsCRP (p < 0.001), TNFα (p < 0.001), antimony (p < 0.001), cadmium (p < 0.001), lead (p < 0.001), and mercury (p < 0.001) levels were significantly higher in the PCOS group than those determined in the control group. Antimony was positively correlated with fasting glucose (FG) and HOMA-IR while cadmium, in addition to FG and HOMA-IR, positively correlated with insulin and lead had a positive correlation only with FG (p < 0.05). Also, these three heavy metals correlated positively with some oxidative system and inflammatory parameters and negatively with the antioxidant system parameters (p < 0.05). In conclusion, heavy metal exposures in PCOS may be related to insulin resistance and hirsutism through oxidative and inflammatory mechanisms. This approach can be used to identify the risky patient group and to develop new treatment modalities.

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  • 20 November 2020

    The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the Study Population section under Materials and Method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey

    Demet Aydogan Kirmizi, Emre Baser & Ethem Serdar Yalvac

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey

    Vugar Ali Turksoy

  3. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kırsehir Ahi Evran University, Kırsehir, Turkey

    Mustafa Kara

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey

    Ayse Yesim Gocmen

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  1. Demet Aydogan Kirmizi
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  2. Emre Baser
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  3. Vugar Ali Turksoy
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  4. Mustafa Kara
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Correspondence to Mustafa Kara.

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The study was approved by the Yozgat Bozok University Clinical Research Ethics Committee (2017-KAEK-189_2019.12.11_15), and an informed consent was obtained from all participants.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the Study Population section under Materials and Method. In the first sentence, January 2019 and February 2020 should be December 2019 - March 2020.

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Kirmizi, D.A., Baser, E., Turksoy, V.A. et al. Are Heavy Metal Exposure and Trace Element Levels Related to Metabolic and Endocrine Problems in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?. Biol Trace Elem Res 198, 77–86 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02220-w

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