Gherlin expression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome--a preliminary study.

The etiology and pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is still unknown. Using real-time PCR, we detected that polycystic ovaries showed almost ten times lower expression of ghrelin mRNA than normal ovaries, whereas the mRNA levels in blood cells were similar in both study groups. This suggests that the presence of ghrelin in PCOS and normal ovaries may have an autocrine/paracrine modulatory effect on ovary functions and local significance in the etiology of PCOS.