A Comparative Study of Blood Levels of Manganese, Some Macroelements and Heavy Metals in Obese and Non-Obese Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent condition in women of reproductive age. It is characterized by androgen excess and chronic anovulation. Some trace elements, macroelements, and heavy metals have been linked to pathophysiological mechanisms of PCOS . To study the alterations in the serum levels of the trace element manganese (Mn), some macroelements, magnesium(Mg) and calcium (Ca), and the heavy metals cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), in obese and non-obese PCOS patients; and the association of these alterations with some of the hormonal changes occurring in PCOS. The study was carried out at Kamal Al-Samarrai Hospital (Center for Infertility treatment and in vitro Fertilization "IVF") Baghdad- Iraq. Eighty-two women were enrolled in the study. Fifty-four of them were diagnosed by a specialist gynecologist as PCOS patients; they were subdivided into two subgroups according to their body mass index (BMI); twenty-seven obese PCOS patients with BMI > 30 kg/m2, and another twenty seven non obese patients PCOS with BMI 30kg/m2, and fourteen non obese women with BMI