Serum metabolomics profiling by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals sexual dimorphism and masculinization of intermediate metabolism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Table 2 Summary of the effects of obesity, sex, PCOS, and their interaction on serum metabolomics profiles as assessed by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy

Metabolite	Obesity	Sex (M vs. W)	PCOS (PCOS vs. W)	Interaction
Branched-chain amino acids and degradation products, aromatic amino acids
Leucine	ns	↑	↑	↑ with obesity only in PCOS
Isoleucine	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity only in PCOS
Valine	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
2-Oxoisocaproic acid	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
2-Oxoisovaleric acid	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
Phenylalanine	ns	↑	↑	ns
Tyrosine	↑	↑	↑	ns
Tryptophan	↑	↑	ns	ns
Other amino acids
Lysine	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
Alanine	↑	ns	↑	ns
Glutamine	ns	↑	↑	ns
Glycine	ns	↑	↑	ns
Ornithine	↑	↑	↑	ns
Asparagine	↓	ns	ns	ns
Glutamic acid	ns	ns	ns	ns
Serine	ns	ns	ns	ns
Proline	ns	ns	ns	ns
Threonine	ns	ns	ns	ns
Amino acid-derived metabolites
1-Methylhistidine	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
Pyroglutamic acid	↓	ns	ns	ns
Creatine	↑	ns	ns	ns
Creatinine	ns	↑	↑	↑ with obesity only in PCOS
Carnitine	↓	ns	ns	↓ with obesity but not in PCOS
Choline	ns	ns	ns	ns
Betaine	↓	ns	ns	ns
Carbohydrates, short-chain fatty acids, ketone bodies, and glycerol
d-Glucose	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
β-Glucose	↑	↑	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men
Lactate	↑	ns	ns	ns
Pyruvate	↑	ns	↑	ns
Citrate	↓	ns	↑	ns
Acetate	↓	↓	ns	↓ with obesity but not in men
Formate	ns	↓	↓	↓ in obese women ↑ in obese PCOS
Isobutyric acid	↓	ns	ns	ns
3-Hydroxybutyric acid	ns	ns	ns	ns
Acetone	↑	↑	↑	↑ only in non-obese men ↑ only in obese PCOS
Glycerol	↑	ns	↑	↑ with obesity but not in men

Only effects reaching statistical significance are shown
↑: higher; ↓: lower; M: control men; ns: not significant; PCOS: women with polycystic ovary syndrome; W: control women

ISSN: 2042-6410