Metabolites and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Mendelian Randomization Study.
Curr Med Chem 2026 Apr 17. [Online ahead of print]

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common reproductive disorder that affects a considerable number of women worldwide. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between metabolites and PCOS remains undetermined.

METHODS

We utilized a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, a genetic epidemiological approach that uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to assess causal relationships between exposures and outcomes, to examine the causal link between 1352 metabolites and PCOS. We employed complementary MR methods, such as the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, and conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate the reliability of the outcomes. Reverse MR analysis was performed to evaluate the possibility of reverse causation.

RESULTS

Five metabolites were identified to be significantly associated with PCOS risk: Methionine sulfoxide levels (IVW: OR [95%]: 1.549[1.274 to 1.883], p = 1.154E-5), Theophylline levels (IVW: OR [95%]: 0.725[0.589 to 0.890], p = 0.002), 4-hydroxycoumarin levels (IVW: OR [95%]: 0.786[0.658 to 0.940], p = 0.008), Tyramine O-sulfate levels (IVW: OR [95%]: 0.699[0.568 to 0.862], p = 0.0008), and Sulfate of piperine metabolite C16H19NO3 (3) levels (IVW: OR [95%]: 1.296[1.064 to 1.579], p = 0.009). We found PCOS was significantly associated with decreased Tyramine O-sulfate levels using the IVW method (OR [95%]: 0.953[0.917 to 0.991], p = 0.015) in the reverse MR analysis. The results of the sensitivity analyses were consistent with the main findings.

DISCUSSION

This study establishes causal relationships between specific metabolites and PCOS, highlighting the significant roles of oxidative stress (methionine sulfoxide), dietary components (theophylline, piperine metabolite), and gut microbiome-derived metabolites. These findings provide novel insights into PCOS pathogenesis and identify potential targets for prevention and treatment. However, the study's limitation to European populations necessitates further validation in diverse ethnic groups.

CONCLUSION

Our MR analysis provides strong evidence supporting a causal association between metabolites and the susceptibility of PCOS.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Aru NDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of the Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Chen YDepartment of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Li TSchool of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Liu JDepartment of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

42003095