The Subcutaneous Adipose Microenvironment as a Determinant of Body Fat Development in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Context: Adipose steroid metabolism modifies body fat development in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Objective: To determine whether subcutaneous (SC) abdominal adipose aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3; a marker of testosterone generation) is increased in normal-weight women with PCOS vs age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched normoandrogenic ovulatory women (controls) and is related to SC abdominal adipose activator protein-1 (AP-1; a marker of adipocyte differentiation) and/or androgen receptor (AR) protein expression in predicting fat accretion.

Design: Prospective cohort study.