Transport of deoxy-d-glucose into lymphocytes of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is linked to increased risk of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus in patients’ later life. The aim of this study was to investigate uptake of deoxy-d-glucose by peripheral blood lymphocytes of PCOS patients with normal fasting plasma glucose and normal glucose tolerance test. The study involved 20 patients with PCOS with normal fasting plasma glucose and normal glucose in 60 and 120 min of oral glucose tolerance test, aged 18–32 (mean 23), BMI between 20 and 30 (mean 26). A control group consisted of 20 healthy women matched for glucose level (normoglycemia), aged 18–28 years (mean 23), BMI 20–25 (mean 23). Blood for the studies was collected in fasting conditions onto heparin. Lymphocytes were isolated within 2 h from collection by centrifuging. The intracellular transport into lymphocytes was studied using tritium-labeled deoxy-d-glucose and measured with a liquid scintillation counter. Radioactivity in curie per minute (cpm) was evaluated after 24 h. An initial examination was performed to check the presence of GLUT4 in peripheral blood lymphocytes of PCOS women. In all of the studied time points, the value of cpm for lymphocytes of PCOS patients was statistically significantly lower in comparison with the value obtained for lymphocytes of healthy women. However, the profile of deoxy-d-glucose uptake (d cpm) was the same for lymphocytes in both studied groups without statistically significant differences. In lymphocytes of PCOS patients, GLUT4 was detected. The obtained results indicate that PCOS affects the intracellular transport of deoxy-d-glucose into lymphocytes of PCOS patients with normal glucose level.