Overexpression of ribosomal RNA in cumulus cells of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in cumulus cells (CCs) from women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing ICSI.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population included three healthy oocyte donors (control) and three patients with PCOS. RNA expression in CCs was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR assay to measure the pre-rRNA transcripts (5'ETS region), 18 S, 5.8 S and 28 S rRNA.
RESULTS: The level of 18 S rRNA is 3.9 times higher (p = 0.036) and the level of 5.8 S rRNA is 2.9 times higher (p = 0.049) in CCs of PCOS patients than in CCs of healthy women. The fold change in expression of 28 S rRNA in CCs of PCOS patients also exceeds that in the control group, but did not reach a statistical significance (p = 0.342).
CONCLUSION: Our observations support the idea that CCs of PCOS patients contain comparatively more ribosomes that CCs of healthy oocyte donors that may indicate a higher proliferation rate or up-regulated translation of protein factors in ССs of PCOS patients.