title: Apoptosis as a function of ovarian reserve in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that preovulatory follicles from women with diminished ovarian reserve contain fewer numbers of luteinized granulosa cells and have a greater percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis as compared with women with uncompromised ovarian reserve undergoing superovulation for IVF-ET.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Luteinized granulosa cell counts were determined from follicular aspirates harvested from 19 women with day 3 serum FSH < or = 6 mIU/mL (conversion factor to SI unit, 1.00) and from 15 women with FSH levels > or = 10 mIU/mL. The second part examined the percent of proliferating and apoptotic cells harvested from nine women with day 3 serum FSH < or = 6 mIU/ mL and from eight women with FSH levels > or = 10 mIU/mL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cell counts by hemacytometer and percent of proliferating and of apoptotic granulosa cells by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of viable cells isolated per follicle were 2.7 x 10(5) (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3 to 3.1 x 10(5) from the low FSH group and 1.8 x 10(5) (95% CI 1.4 to 2.3 x 10(5) from the high FSH group. Although the percentage of proliferating cells was the same, the mean percentage of apoptotic cells was 0.5% (95% CI 0.2% to 1.4%) from the low group and 2.0% (95% CI 1.1% to 3.7%) from the high group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women undergoing IVF with day 3 serum FSH > or = 10 mIU/mL have preovulatory follicles with fewer luteinized granulosa cells and an increase in the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis as compared with women with day 3 serum FSH < or = 6 mIU/mL.
authors.affiliation: Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Seifer
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Peluso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone