Serum and follicular fluid levels of soluble Fas and soluble Fas ligand in IVF cycles.
OBJECTIVE
To determine follicular fluid (FF) and serum levels of soluble Fas (sFas) and soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) in patients undergoing IVF cycles.


METHODS
A prospective comparative study among patients with endometriosis (n=12), infertility due to male factor (n=12) and poor responders (n=32) undergoing IVF cycles in Centrum IVF Clinic. Individual FF and serum samples were collected from patients during transvaginal ultrasonography-guided follicle aspiration. Patients were classified as poor responder patients undergoing IVF cycles with GnRHa, triptorelin and GnRH antagonist, cetrotide, patients with endometriosis and patients with infertility due to male factor. sFas, sFasL levels in both FF and serum samples and their correlations with clinical outcomes of IVF were measured in each study group.


RESULTS
Serum and FF levels of sFas, sFasL were similar in the poor responder and male factor groups. There were no differences between the serum and FF levels of both sFas and sFasL among poor responder patients receiving either GnRH agonist or antagonist therapies. Serum levels of sFas were significantly lower in the endometriosis group compared to the male factor group. Serum and FF levels of sFas, sFasL were similar among patients with or without clinical pregnancy.


CONCLUSIONS
sFas and sFasL are detected in both serum and follicular fluid samples from IVF cycles, their levels are similar between poor responder and male factor groups as well as between GnRH agonist and antagonist treatment groups. These soluble apoptotic factors may not be predictive for the outcomes of IVF. Decreased serum levels of sFas, suggests increased apoptosis in endometriosis.
Onalan
Gogsen
G
Centrum Clinic, Nenehatun, No. 59, Ankara, 06520-8063, Turkey. gogsenonalan@yahoo.com
Selam
Belgin
B
Onalan
Reside
R
Ceyhan
Temel
T
Cincik
Mehmet
M
Pabuccu
Recai
R
D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012995:Solubility; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors; D019014:fas Receptor; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C062876:cetrorelix