Clinical Trial: Insulin Differences Between African-American and Caucasian Female Adolescents With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Differences in Insulin Secretion and Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance in African-American and Caucasian Adolescent Females With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Brief Summary: The purpose of this research study is to see if there are differences between African-American and Caucasian girls with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in how their bodies respond to a type of sugar, called glucose, the body's main source of energy. PCOS is one of the most common endocrine disorders among females. Features can include anovulation (eggs are not released from the ovaries) resulting in irregular menstrual periods, excessive amounts of androgenic (male) hormones resulting in acne and hirsutism (excessive hair growth on the face and body), and polycystic ovaries (small sac-like structures [cysts] on your ovaries) seen on ultrasound. Girls with PCOS also have higher levels of insulin in their bodies (called hyperinsulinism) but are not able to use insulin very well (called insulin resistance) resulting in an increased risk of diabetes. Diabetes is when you have high levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Many studies have looked at how bodies respond to glucose and have shown that compared to Caucasians, healthy African-Americans produce much more insulin (hyperinsulinism) but are not able to use it as well (insulin resistance) in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose move from the blood into the muscles for the body to use as energy. PCOS is associated with increased levels of insulin (hyperinsulinism) and not being able to use it as well (insulin resistance). So we want to see if there is a difference in insulin production (secretion) and insulin resistance between African-Americans and Caucasians girls with PCOS. To do this, we will look at blood glucose and insulin levels in response to giving glucose in African-American and Caucasian girls who have PCOS. The results of this study may ultimately help to more effectively target treatment therapy in individuals with PCOS that have increased insulin secretion and/or increased insulin resistance.

Detailed Summary:

PCOS is the most common endocrine abnormality of reproductive-aged women in the United States, affecting approximately 5 million women (1). The exact prevalence of PCOS in the adolescent population is unknown mainly attributed to the diagnostic challenge PCOS presents as the characteristics of normal puberty overlap with the signs and symptoms of PCOS (2). The key features of PCOS include menstrual irregularity, hyper¬androgenism, and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound. However, clinical presentation may vary. It is a complex heterogeneous condition with life-long psychological, reproductive, and metabolic manifestations that impact a woman's health throughout her lifespan. PCOS is associated with major metabolic consequences including hyperinsulinism (i.e. increased insulin secretion), insulin resistance (i.e. decreased insulin sensitivity), obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, defective fibrino¬lysis, as well as endometrial carcinoma (3).

Particular disease processes show a predilection for certain racial and ethnic groups. African-American [AA] adults are at increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease mortality, and hyper¬tension compared to Caucasian [CA] adults. Past studies (4-9) have found that AAs have increased insulin secretion and decreased insulin sensitivity compared to their CA counterparts in adolescence and adulthood and even in childhood. These findings are secondary to the combination of increased insulin secretion and resistance with decreased insulin sensitivity and clearance noted in African-Americans. It is this combination of altered glucose metabolism that places AAs at increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity. It has been proposed that hyperinsulinism or increased insulin secretion is a compensatory response by the p
Sponsor: Nationwide Children's Hospital

Current Primary Outcome: Insulin Secretion [ Time Frame: -10, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 27, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, and 92 minutes ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance [ Time Frame: -10, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22, 27, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, and 92 minutes ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Nationwide Children's Hospital

Dates:
Date Received: January 29, 2014
Date Started: January 2014
Date Completion: June 2015
Last Updated: February 2, 2015
Last Verified: February 2015