[Anti-ovarian antibodies and in vitro fertilization: cause or consequence?].
OBJECTIVE
To assess anti-ovarian antibodies (AOA) in serum samples at various times of in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts to determine whether ovarian stimulation could result in the production of such autoantibodies in women.


METHODS
Prospective study on 134 patients and 138 IVF cycles using a classical long protocol. For each attempt, four serum samples were obtained, respectively, at the onset of downrelation (S1), end of downregulation (S13), after 7 days of follicular stimulation (S21) and the day of follicular puncture (SP). Five hundred and fifty two samples were tested with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for three isotypes (IgG, IgA, IgM) of AOA.


RESULTS
In the whole group, mean concentrations of AOA for each isotype were compared group by group: S1-S13, S1-S21, S1-SP, S13-S21, S13-SP, S21-SP. Not any significant difference was observed whatever the isotype considered.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows the absence of influence of endogenous or exogenous ovarian stimulation by gonadotropins on anti-ovarian autoimmunity.
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M