Is follicular atresia biphasic?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the rate of human follicular depletion and the interpretation of curved scatters on log-linear plots.


METHODS
Four mathematical models were tested with use of data drawn from published autopsy studies and histologic analyses of ovaries.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
None.


RESULTS
Human oocyte depletion data do not support the inference of a biphasic follicular atresia. On original measurement scales there is no perturbation in the data between ages 37 and 40, and the instantaneous rate of follicle loss is lower after age 40 than ever before.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no abrupt increase in the "rate" of follicular atresia that corresponds with a drop in fecundability or an increase in risk of chromosomal abnormalities at approximately age 38. The apparent abrupt increase in rate of follicular depletion is an artifact of log-linear transformation.
Leidy
L E
LE
University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 01003-4805, USA. leidy@anthro.umass.edu
Godfrey
L R
LR
Sutherland
M R
MR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005496:Follicular Atresia / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies