Objective: To investigate the frequency of apoE alleles among women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Design: Retrospective case-control study.
Setting: University-based endocrinology/infertility clinic.
Patient(s): Healthy fertile women (n = 91) and women with a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (n = 58).
Intervention(s): None.
Main outcome measure(s): The presence of the three most common apoE alleles (epsilon2, epsilon3, and epsilon4) determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in the two groups and in the general population in our area.
Result(s): The frequency of the apo epsilon4 allele was 17.2% among women with polycystic ovary syndrome and was 18.7% among healthy fertile women, which is close to the rate in the general population in our area (19%). None of the apoE genotypes (Fisher's exact test; P=.71) or alleles (P=.78) was significantly overrepresented, and the homozygous genotype epsilon4 was not associated with the clinical disease.
Conclusion(s): The observed profiles of allele and genotype frequencies confirm the equilibrium state between apoE polymorphism and polycystic ovary syndrome and suggest that apoE does not play a major role in the development of hyperlipidemia in the group of women with polycystic ovary syndrome.