Figure 1.

Alterations in macrophage functional phenotypes in PCOS. Macrophages are plastic cells that respond to pro- and anti-inflammatory stimuli to adjust to environmental changes and maintain homeostasis. Compared with healthy women, blood-derived macrophages from PCOS women are impaired in their response to cytokines, suggesting a reduced capacity to adjust to microenvironmental changes in different conditions. In addition, the serum from PCOS women is less effective in promoting cholesterol efflux from macrophage cell models with respect to that from healthy women. Cholesterol efflux is driven by serum HDL subfractions but also by other cellular and circulating factors. Impaired cholesterol efflux capacity is associated with an increased risk for atherothrombotic events. X: impairment observed in PCOS women vs. controls.