Objective: To investigate psychological distress, serum levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites, as well as their correlation with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Methods: Thirty infertility patients with PCOS were assigned as the experimental group and 30 infertility patients without PCOS were assigned as the control group. Psychological distress was self-evaluated in all patients with Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90). Serum concentrations of norepinephrine (NE) and its metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), dopamine (DA) and its metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and dihydroxy-phenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Results: The anxious and depressive subscales of SCL-90 were significantly higher in infertility patients with PCOS than those without PCOS (p < 0.05). The serum concentrations of 5-HT, 5-HIAA and HVA were significantly lower in infertility patients with PCOS than those without PCOS (p < 0.05). Importantly, the phobia subscale scores of SCL-90 positively correlated with serum MHPG level (p < 0.05), while the hostility subscale's scores negatively correlated with serum DOPAC level (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Psychological and neurological factors play a crucial role in PCOS.