Expression profiling of circular RNA in the cumulus cells of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common and heterogeneous endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age.Depending on different criteria and populations,the prevalence of PCOS ranges from 6 to 8% with the NIH criteria, and up to 20% with the Rotterdam criteria.Further, it accounts for approximately 75% of anovulatory infertility.Circular RNAs (circRNAs) mediate the posttranscriptional regulation of multiple genes by functioning as microRNA (miRNA) sponges. This study aimed to detect the novel expression of circRNAs in the cumulus cells (CCs) of PCOS patients and their potential significance in the pathogenesis of PCOS. CircRNAs in the cumulus cells from 6 PCOS patients and 6 normal control individuals were collected for microarray analysis, and an independent cohort study including 25 PCOS patients and 25 normal control individuals was conducted to validate the circRNA microarray results using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Spearman’s rank correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were performed to delineate the potential correlation between novel circRNAs and patients’ clinical characteristics and their potential efficacy for the diagnosis of PCOS. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to investigate the potential roles of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of PCOS.