Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism and polycystic ovary syndrome patients in Western Anatolia, Turkey.

Purpose: Dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease and hypertension are more frequently seen in patients with PCOS than in normal patients. We aimed at evaluating the distribution of Apo E alleles that can influence cardiovascular risk of the PCOS patients and control subjects.

Methods: In this study, 129 young women with PCOS and 91 healthy women were included. In all subjects we performed hormonal, biochemical and Apo E genetic analysis.

Results: The Apo E3 allele was found at a significantly higher frequency in the PCOS patient group compared with the control group. The Apo E2 allele was found at a significantly higher frequency in the control group compared with the patient group with PCOS.

Conclusions: Although there were genotype and allele differences between control and patient groups in this study, no statistically significant change was determined in lipid and other cardiovascular risk factors in connection with allele and genotype.