title: The levels of steroid hormones and cytokines in individual follicles are not associated with the fertilization outcome after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between the levels of two steroid hormones and eight cytokines in fluids from individual follicles and the fertilization outcome of the oocytes derived from the same follicles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-three women participating in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)/ET cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ovarian stimulation followed the multidose GnRH antagonist protocol. ICSI was performed in mature oocytes. The concentrations of estradiol, progesterone, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL) -1beta, IL-6, vascular endothelial growth factor, leptin, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor-I were measured by immunoassay methods in the follicles from which the mature oocytes were derived.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentrations of the above hormones and cytokines in individual follicles and the fertilization outcome of the oocytes derived from the same follicles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intrafollicular concentrations of the above factors were not significantly associated with the fertilization outcome. These factors were not correlated with embryo quality, with the exception of leptin, which was weakly associated with embryo score (R = 0.276).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intrafollicular concentrations of the above factors cannot predict the fertilization outcome after ICSI.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Byron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asimakopoulos
authors.forename: Deena
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abu-Hassan
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Metzen
authors.forename: Safaa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Hasani
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Diedrich
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolettos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000378:metabolism*; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones