The role of oxidative stress on subclinical atherosclerosis in premature ovarian insufficiency and relationship with carotid intima-media thickness

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), by analyzing the dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis (TDH) parameters as an OS marker and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT).

Materials and methods: A total of 69 women, 34 with POI and 35 healthy controls were included in this prospective cross-sectional study. TDH parameters (plasma native thiol, total thiol, disulfide, disulfide/native thiol, native thiol/total thiol, and disulfide/total thiol ratios) and CIMT were measured and compared between the two groups.

Results: In primary ovarian insufficiency group, native thiol (p=.009) and total thiol (p=.010) levels were significantly decreased, and CIMT values were significantly increased (p= <.001). CIMT values were negatively correlated with native thiol (r=–0.553, p=.001) and total thiol levels (r=–0.565, p=.001); and positively correlated with age (r = 0.457, p=.007), BMI (r = 0.408, p=.017), and total cholesterol (r = 0.605, p<.001) in POI group.

Conclusions: Decreased native thiol and total thiol levels demonstrate the defective anti-oxidant mechanism in POI. Negative correlation between native thiol, total thiol levels, and CIMT means the presence of abnormal anti-oxidant mechanisms may play a role in the development of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with POI. This is a novel report on the mechanism of subclinical atherosclerosis in women with POI, which needs to be supported with further studies evaluating the pathophysiology of OS.

摘要

目的：通过分析氧化应激标志物动态硫/二硫化物稳态（TDH）参数和颈动脉内膜中层厚度（CIMT）, 探讨氧化应激（OS）与早发性卵巢功能不全（POI）患者亚临床动脉粥样硬化的关系。材料和方法：本研究为前瞻性横断面研究, 共纳入69名女性, 34名POI患者和35名健康对照者。测定两组间TDH参数（血浆天然硫化物、总硫化物、二硫化物、二硫化物/天然硫化物、天然硫化物/总硫化物、二硫化物/总硫化物比值）和CIMT。结果：POI患者天然硫化物（p=.009）和总硫化物（p=.010）水平显著降低, CIMT显著升高(p<. 001)。CIMT值与天然硫化物（r= -0.553, p=.001）和总硫化物（r= -0.565, p=.001）呈负相关；与年龄（r = 0.457, p =.007）、BMI （r =0.408, p =.017）、总胆固醇（r = 0.605, p<.001）呈正相关。结论：天然硫化物和总硫化物水平的降低表明POI患者的抗氧化机制存在缺陷。天然硫化物、总硫化物水平与CIMT呈负相关, 表明POI患者亚临床动脉粥样硬化的发生可能与抗氧化机制异常有关。这是一篇关于POI女性亚临床动脉粥样硬化发生机制的新报道, 仍然需要进一步的氧化应激病理生理学研究来支持。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• Premature ovarian insufficiency
• subclinical atherosclerosis
• thiol/disulfide homeostasis
• oxidative stress

Disclosure statement

The authors received no funding for this work and declare no conflicts of interest.