Early Vascular Damage in Young Women with DM-1 and Its Relation to Anti-Müllerian Hormone: A Cross-Sectional Study

Anti-Müllerian Hormone Type II Receptor Expression in Endometrial Cancer Tissue

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is responsible for the Müllerian ducts' regression in male fetuses. In cells of cancers with AMH receptors (AMHRII), AMH induces cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. As AMH occurs naturally and does not exhibit significant side effects while reducing neoplastic cell colonies, it can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the AMHRII expression in endometrial cancer (EC) in correlation to various demographic data and clinical conditions. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to assess AMHRII expression in EC tissue samples retrieved from 230 women with pre-cancerous state of endometrium (PCS) and EC. AMHRII was detected in 100% of samples. No statistical difference was observed for AMHRII expression depending on the histopathological type of EC, cancer staging, body mass index, and age, as well as the number of years of menstruation, births and miscarriages, and average and total breastfeeding time. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is the only factor that has an impact on AMHRII expression in EC tissue. Thus, this study supports the idea of theoretical use of AMH in EC treatment because all histopathological types of EC at all stages of advancement present receptors for AMH.

Polycystic ovary syndrome and endothelial dysfunction: A potential role for soluble lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1

The aims of this study were to investigate whether serum soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (sLOX-1), oxidized LDL (oxLDL), paraoxonase-1(PON-1) and hydroperoxide (LOOH) levels are altered in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and also to determine if hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance (IR) and Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) are associated with endothelial dysfunction in PCOS. A total of 46 women with PCOS and 46 non-PCOS healthy controls were recruited. Women with PCOS had significantly higher sLOX-1, oxLDL and LOOH concentrations than non-PCOS women [6.16 (3.92-13.95) vs 1.37 (0.63-4.43) ng/mL, p < 0.001; 6.48 ± 1.03 vs 3.16 ± 1.02 μU/L, p < 0.001; 2.45 (1.45-3.45) vs 1.06 (0.64-1.56) μmol/L, p < 0.001]. The mean PON-1 level of PCOS group was lower than non-PCOS group (69.47 ± 10.75 vs 104.08 ± 21.43 U/mL, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in terms of the sLOX-1, oxLDL, LOOH and PON-1 levels between normal weight and overweight PCOS women. On univariate logistic regression analysis, Ferriman-Gallwey scale (FGS), HOMA-IR and AMH were an independent predictors of high risk group of endothelial dysfunction markers (HR-EDm). Age and BMI were not associated with HR-EDm. When incorporated into the multivariate model, endotelial dysfunction markers independently correlated with clinical hyperandrogenism (FGS) but not with AMH. In conclusion, our results indicated that an increased concentration of sLOX-1 might be an early predictor of endothelial damage in patients with PCOS. Women with PCOS have elevated sLOX-1, oxLDL, LOOH and decreased PON-1 levels, independent of BMI. Endothelial dysfunction in women with PCOS is associated with hyperandrogenism. Further studies are required to confirm our findings.

Type 1 Diabetes Accelerates Progression of Coronary Artery Calcium Over the Menopausal Transition: The CACTI Study

OBJECTIVE

Type 1 diabetes is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. Although menopause increases risk of CVD, it is uncertain how menopause affects risk of CVD in women with type 1 diabetes. We examined whether risk of CVD changes differentially in women with and those without type 1 diabetes over the transition through menopause.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes (n = 311) and premenopausal women without diabetes (n = 325) enrolled in the Coronary Artery Calcification in Type 1 Diabetes (CACTI) study and attended up to four study visits over 18 years. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) volume was measured from computed tomography scans obtained at each visit. Longitudinal repeated-measures modeling estimated the effect of diabetes on CAC volume over time and the effect of menopause on the diabetes-CAC relationship.

RESULTS

CAC volume was higher at baseline and increased more over time in women with type 1 diabetes than in women without diabetes. A significant diabetes-by-menopause interaction was found (P < 0.0001): postmenopausal women with type 1 diabetes had significantly higher CAC volumes than premenopausal women (5.14 ± 0.30 vs. 2.91 ± 0.18 mm³), while there was no difference in women without diabetes (1.78 ± 0.26 vs. 1.78 ± 0.17 mm³). This interaction remained significant after adjusting for CVD risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Type 1 diabetes was associated with higher CAC volume and accelerated progression of CAC over time. Menopause increased CAC progression more in women with diabetes than in women without diabetes independent of age and other CVD risk factors known to worsen with menopause.