Increased 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective: To determine melatonin production in hyperandrogenic women.Design: Controlled prospective study. Setting: Outpatients in an academic medical center.Patient(s): Twenty-two women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), 20 women with idiopathic hirsutism, and 15 age-matched individuals who had similar body mass indexes as controls.Intervention(s): Fasting blood samples and 24-hour urinary samples were obtained from all participants. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants provided serum samples for the measurement of LH, FSH, testosterone, E₂, DHEAS, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), and insulin levels, as well as urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s). Result(s): Women with PCOS had higher aMT6s, testosterone, LH/FSH ratio, and insulin values than either women with idiopathic hirsutism or control women. Testosterone inversely correlated with aMT6s in PCOS. Regression analysis revealed that only testosterone was an important determinant of aMT6s in PCOS. Conclusion(s): Women with PCOS have increased melatonin production.