Metabolomic Profiling of Pregnancies With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Identifies a Unique Metabolic Signature and Potential Predictive Biomarkers of Low Birth Weight

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex syndrome with clinical features of an endocrine/metabolic disorder. Various metabolites show significant association with PCOS; however, studies comparing the metabolic profile of pregnant women with and without PCOS are lacking. In this study, metabolomics analysis of blood samples collected from PCOS women and age and BMI matched controls in the second trimester of pregnancy was performed to identify metabolic differences between the two groups and determine their association with pregnancy outcome. Methods Sixteen PCOS and fifty-two healthy women in their second trimester underwent targeted metabolomics of plasma samples using tandem mass spectrometry with the Biocrates MxP(R) Quant 500 Kit. Linear regression models were used to identify the metabolic alterations associated with PCOS, followed by enrichment and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses to determine the best indicators of pregnancy outcomes. Results PCOS women had lower birth weight babies compared to healthy controls. As a group, systolic blood pressure (SBP) at both second trimester and at delivery negatively correlated with birth weight. Regression models indicated significant increases in the triglycerides C20:4_C34:3 and C18:2_C38:6 in the PCOS group [false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05]. Enrichment analysis revealed significant elevations in triglycerides containing arachidonic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid in the PCOS group. A number of indicators of baby birth weight were identified including SBP at delivery, hexosylceramide (d18:2/24:0), ceramide (d18.0/24.1) and serine, with an AUC for all predictors combined for low birth weight (<= 2500grams) of 0.88 (95%CI: 0.75-1.005, p<0.001). Conclusions PCOS pregnancies resulted in babies with a lower birth weight, marked by a unique metabolic signature that was enriched with specific triglycerides and unsaturated fatty acids. The functional significance of these associations needs further investigation.