Association between CD 16 ++ monocytes in peripheral blood and clinical features and short‐term therapeutic effects of polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective To evaluate the association between CD 16 ++ monocytes in peripheral blood and the clinical features and short‐term therapeutic effects of polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ). Methods This prospective cross‐sectional study included women diagnosed with PCOS at a University Hospital in Shanghai, China, between June 4 and November 28, 2016. Patients received Diane‐35, metformin, or both combined for 3 months. We collected anthropometric measures and used flow cytometry to detect CD 16 ++ monocytes. Results The final analysis included 70 patients: 18 in the Diane‐35 group, 30 in the metformin group, and 22 in the Diane‐35 plus metformin group. The control group comprised 60 women without PCOS . The proportion of CD 16 ++ monocytes was significantly higher in patients with PCOS than in those with no PCOS (16.05% vs 10.73%; P =0.001). The proportion differed significantly between patients with and those without hyperandrogenism (13.12% vs 17.30%; P =0.002) and showed moderate accuracy in diagnosing hyperandrogenism before treatment. We noted a decrease in monocytes post‐treatment in patients given metformin and Diane‐35 plus metformin. Conclusions The proportion of CD 16 ++ monocytes was most significantly associated with hyperandrogenism before treatment. Our findings suggest that the proportion of CD 16 ++ monocytes in peripheral blood might be related to the inflammatory condition of PCOS .