Metformin plus oral contraceptive may decrease plasma sCD40 ligand in women with PCOS patients
Kebapcilar, L.; Kebapcilar, A.Gul.; Bilgir, O.; Taner, C.Eftal.; Bozkaya, G.; Yildiz, Y.; Sari, I.
Gynecological Endocrinology the Official Journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology 27(2): 91-95
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0951-3590 PMID: 20528207 DOI: 10.3109/09513590.2010.491164Document Number: 211905
To evaluate sCD40L levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who use combination therapy with metformin and oral contraceptives. Total of 60 patients with PCOS was studied to evaluate and compare with a non-PCOS group consisting of 30 subjects. A low-dose oral contraceptive containing ethinyl oestradiol-cyproterone acetate (EE/CA) and metformin (M; 850 mg metformin twice a day) were given for three cycles. Plasma sCD40L was measured before and after the treatment of 3 months. At baseline, the sCD40L levels of the patients with PCOS was significantly higher than those of control subjects (3.1 ± 2.0 vs. 2.05 ± 1.0, respectively; p=0.002). An average of 3 months of EE/CA-M therapy induced a significant decrease of sCD40L levels in the PCOS group (3.1 ± 2.0 vs. 2.5 ± 1.0; p=0.026). After having treated patients with PCOS, the sCD40L level was not completely normalised when compared to the healthy controls (2.5 ± 1.0 vs. 2.05 ± 1.0; p=0.039). PCOS is associated with elevated levels of sCD40L. Adding metformin therapy to EE/CA may decrease sCD40L levels in women PCOS. However, after the treatment for PCOS subjects, the sCD40L was not completely normalised when compared patients to healthy controls.