title: Evaluation of leptin, interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in serum and follicular fluids of women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation as prognostic markers of ICSI outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytokines play an important but controversial role during ovarian folliculogenesis for the development of mature and fertilizable oocytes. In this study, leptin, interleukin-1beta (IL1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in serum and follicular fluids (FF) of women undergoing ovarian hyperstimulation were evaluated as prognostic markers of the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five ICSI cycles were included in the study. The cytokines were measured in serum and FF samples with enzyme immunoassay methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cytokine concentrations in serum were not significantly correlated with the cytokine concentrations in FFs. Serum IL1beta was inversely-correlated with the number of retrieved oocytes. Serum TNFalpha was negatively-correlated with fertilization rate. In FFs, TNFalpha was positively-correlated with leptin. Leptin and VEGF in FFs were negatively-associated with pregnancy outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leptin and VEGF concentrations in FFs may serve as prognostic markers of success after ovarian hyperstimulation and ICSI.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, 681 00 Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolettos
authors.forename: Byron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asimakopoulos
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nicolettos
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Efthimiadou
authors.forename: Efthemia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mourvati
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demirel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D020738:Leptin; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A