Effects of Sex Hormones on Ocular Surface Epithelia: Lessons Learned From Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine abnormality in women of reproductive age. Although its clinical consequences have been known for a long time to extend beyond the reproductive system, with type-2 diabetes and obesity being the most common, the involvement of the ocular surface in PCOS has been described only more recently. The ocular surface is a morphofunctional unit comprising eyelid margin, tear film, cornea, and conjunctiva. Increasing evidence indicates that these structures are under a sex hormone control and relevant diseases such as ocular allergy and dry eye are often caused by alterations in circulating or local steroid hormones levels. Novel treatments targeting sex hormone receptors on ocular surface epithelial cells are also being developed. In this review we aim to describe the current knowledge on the effects of sex hormones at the ocular surface, with a special focus on the effects of androgen imbalance in PCOS.

• Authors: Flavio Mantelli, Costanzo Moretti, Ilaria Macchi, Giacomina Massaro-Giordano, Grazia Maria Cozzupoli, Alessandro Lambiase, Stefano Bonini
• Journal: Journal of cellular physiology (J Cell Physiol) Vol. 231 Issue 5 Pg. 971-5 (May 2016) ISSN: 1097-4652 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26491950 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical References

• Gonadal Steroid Hormones
• Receptors, Cell Surface

Topics

• Epithelium (drug effects)
• Eye (drug effects)
• Female
• Gonadal Steroid Hormones (pharmacology)
• Humans
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (pathology)
• Receptors, Cell Surface (metabolism)
• Tears (drug effects)