Individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have been reported to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease when compared to those without PCOS. While differential environmental exposures and genetic morphometries are believed to account in part for the difference, there is growing evidence that cardiometabolic risk factors can accelerate pro-vascular progenitor cell depletion and dysfunction. The cumulative effects that aberrant regenerative cell exhaustion (RCE) have on vessel repair accordingly increases the risk of atherothrombotic events.~PCOS-RCE is an observational, cross-sectional, two-arm study that will evaluate the progenitor cell profiles of peripheral blood samples from 30 individuals (15 with PCOS, 15 without PCOS). The working hypothesis is that individuals with PCOS have innately different progenitor cell profiles that can be further altered by their environment and genotype. The resultant differences in RCE capability will affect the balance between pro-inflammatory and vessel repair functions that, in turn, contribute to the contrasting cardiometabolic risks exhibited between the two study cohorts.
PCOS-RCE is an observational, cross-sectional, two-arm study that is aimed at determining if an established diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) influences the number of blood vessel-forming stem cells in the bloodstream. Circulating progenitor cells will be enumerated and the distribution patterns of these cell types will be assessed to determine if these parameters differ between individuals with PCOS and individuals without PCOS. Specifically, this study will evaluate if differential regenerative cell exhaustion (RCE) may account, at least in part, for the differences in cardiovascular risk reported between individuals with a diagnosis of PCOS and those without.