{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T13:07:37Z","timestamp":1792069657803,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,30]],"date-time":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675036800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Deputyship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia","award":["IFKSURG-2-1743"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IFKSURG-2-1743"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Humans exploit heavy metals for various industrial and economic reasons. Although some heavy metals are essential for normal physiology, others such as Tellurium (Te), Thallium (TI), antimony (Sb), and Osmium (Os) are highly toxic and can lead to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common female factor of infertility. The current study was undertaken to determine levels of the heavy metals TI, Te, Sb and Os in serum of PCOS females (n = 50) compared to healthy non-PCOS controls (n = 56), and to relate such levels with Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), activity of key antioxidant enzymes, oxidative stress marker levels and redox status. PCOS serum samples demonstrated significantly higher levels of TI, Te, Sb and Os and diminished TAC compared to control (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, there was significant inhibition of SOD, CAT and several glutathione-related enzyme activities in sera of PCOS patients with concurrent elevations in superoxide anions, hydrogen and lipid peroxides, and protein carbonyls, along with disrupted glutathione homeostasis compared to those of controls (p &lt; 0.001 for all parameters). Additionally, a significant negative correlation was found between the elevated levels of heavy metals and TAC, indicative of the role of metal-induced oxidative stress as a prominent phenomenon associated with the pathophysiology of the underlying PCOS. Data obtained in the study suggest toxic metals as risk factors causing PCOS, and thus protective measures should be considered to minimize exposure to prevent such reproductive anomalies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms24032596","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,30]],"date-time":"2023-01-30T04:58:25Z","timestamp":1675054705000},"page":"2596","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["An Insight into the Impact of Serum Tellurium, Thallium, Osmium and Antimony on the Antioxidant\/Redox Status of PCOS Patients: A Comprehensive Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3578-8988","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manal","family":"Abudawood","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lulu","family":"Alnuaim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Reproductive Medicine and Endocrinology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4995-8303","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hajera","family":"Tabassum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hazem K.","family":"Ghneim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3095-9154","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammad A.","family":"Alfhili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samyah T.","family":"Alanazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Naif D.","family":"Alenzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research and Laboratories Sector, National Drug and Cosmetic Control Laboratories (NDCCL), Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1707-6461","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sarah","family":"Alsobaie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"133","article-title":"Heavy metal toxicity and the environment","volume":"101","author":"Tchounwou","year":"2012","journal-title":"Exp. 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