Interleukin-18 is high in the serum of IVF pregnancies with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The presence of interleukin-18 (IL-18) in serum and pre-ovulatory follicular fluid (FF) and its possible correlation to in-vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) outcome and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) development.


METHODS
A prospective study was carried out. Assays for serum and pooled pre-ovulatory FF levels of IL-18 were performed on 30 patients who underwent oocyte retrieval for IVF/ET.


RESULTS
Mean serum and FF levels of IL-18 were 370.4 +/- 224 and 228.9 +/- 208 pg/mL, respectively (r = 0.77, P < 0.0001). Levels of FF IL-18 were comparable between the two ovaries (right = 221 +/- 166.8 pg/mL, left = 237 +/- 171.9 pg/mL; r = 0.7550, P = 0.49). A positive correlation was found between IL-18 FF levels and number of retrieved oocytes (r = 0.45; P = 0.019). In three patients (10%) who developed OHSS, the mean serum level of IL-18 at day of ovum pickup was significantly higher compared with patients without OHSS (620 +/- 196 pg/mL versus 345 +/- 251 pg/mL, respectively, P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Both pre-ovulatory FF and serum levels of IL-18 correlate with the number of retrieved oocytes. The serum IL-18 level at day of ovum pickup may predict consequent development of OHSS. Further investigations are warranted to determine the role of IL-18 in the folliculogenesis and OHSS pathogenesis.
Gutman
Guy
G
Sara Racine IVF Unit, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Soussan-Gutman
L
L
Malcov
M
M
Lessing
J B
JB
Amit
A
A
Azem
F
F
D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D016471:Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate
D020382:Interleukin-18