Abstract: Polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） is a common disease among reproductive-aged women. The etiology and pathogenesis of PCOS is complex，although a lot of hypothesis have been proposed，the exact mechanism is still unclear. Recent of studies have suggested that the tumor necrosis factor-α involved in insulin resistance， hyperandrogenism， obesity，ovulation failure and corpus luteum insufficiency of PCOS. This review briefly introduced the tumor necrosis factor-α′s action in the metabolic disorder and the effect of ovarian function in PCOS.

Key words: Polycystic ovary syndrome, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, Insulin resistance, Obesity, Diabetes mellitus