No association of the insulin gene VNTR polymorphism with polycystic ovary syndrome in a Han Chinese population

• Main Authors: Gao Guihua, Zhang Xiaohui, Hu Pin, Xing Qiong, Zhang Zhiguo, Wei Zhaolian, Xu Yuping, Wang Yong, Gao Qian, Yi Long, Cao Yunxia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2009-12-01
• Series: Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
• Online Access: http://www.rbej.com/content/7/1/141

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes mellitus. The results of previous research about the association of the VNTR polymorphism in 5-prime flanking region of the insulin (INS) gene with PCOS have been inconsistent. The present study was to investigate the association of the INS-VNTR polymorphism with PCOS in a Han Chinese population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The -23/HphI polymorphism as a surrogate marker of the INS-VNTR length polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 216 PCOS patients and 192 non-PCOS women as a control group. Allelic and genotypic frequencies were compared between patients and controls, and these results were analyzed in respect to clinical test data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No significant differences were observed between the cases and controls groups either in allele (P = 0.996) or genotype (P = 0.802) frequencies of INS-VNTR polymorphism; Regarding anthropometric data and hormone levels, there were no significant differences between INS-VNTR genotypes in the PCOS group, as well as in the non-PCOS group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study demonstrated for the first time that the INS-VNTR polymorphism is not a key risk factor for sporadic PCOS in the Han Chinese women. Further studies are needed to give a global view of this polymorphism in pathogenesis of PCOS in a large-scale sample, family-based association design or well-defined subgroups of PCOS.</p>