The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2020, Vol. 105, No. 12, e4792–e4800 doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa600 Clinical Research Article ISSN Print 0021-972X ISSN Online 1945-7197 Printed in USA e4792 https://academic.oup.com/jcem © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com Clinical Research Article Gut Microbiota and Oral Contraceptive Use in Overweight and Obese Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Nesrin Damla Eyupoglu, 1 Koray Ergunay, 2 Aylin Acikgoz, 3 Yakut Akyon, 2 Engin Yilmaz, 4 and Bulent Okan Yildiz 1,5 1 Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, 06100 Ankara, Turkey; 2 Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, 06100 Ankara, Turkey; 3 Hacettepe University School of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, 06100 Ankara, Turkey; 4 Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, Department of Medical Biology, 34684 Istanbul, Turkey; and 5 Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 06100 Ankara, Turkey ORCiD numbers: 0000-0002-1617-5134 (N. D. Eyupoglu); 0000-0003-1797-7662 (B. O. Yildiz). Received: 3 April 2020; Accepted 27 August 2020; First Published Online: 29 August 2020; Corrected and Typeset: 14 October 2020. Abstract  Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common and complex endocrine disorder. Emerging animal and human data point to various changes in microbiota that could be linked with the syndrome. However, the effects of therapeutic approaches on gut microbial composition in women with PCOS remain unknown. Objective: We aimed to assess whether gut microbial composition is altered in PCOS and to determine the potential impact of oral contraceptive (OC) use on gut microbiota. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting: Tertiary referral hospital. Patients and Other Participants: The study included 17 overweight/obese patients with PCOS and 15 age- and body mass index-matched healthy control women. Main Outcome Measures: At baseline, clinical, hormonal, and metabolic evaluations and gut microbial composition assessment by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing were performed for both groups. All measurements were repeated in patients after receiving an OC along with general lifestyle advice for 3 months. Results: Alpha and beta diversity did not show a difference between patients with PCOS and healthy controls at baseline and remained unaltered after 3 months of OC use in the PCOS group. Relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae was higher in PCOS (P = 0.006) and did not show a signifcant change after treatment. Conclusion: Women with PCOS have an increased abundance of Ruminococcaceae, whereas short-term OC use does not alter compositional features of gut microbiota in the syndrome. Freeform/Key Words: microbiome, dysbiosis, oral contraceptive, PCOS, obesity Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/105/12/e4792/5899137 by guest on 11 June 2022