title: Follicular fluid and serum levels of inhibin A and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in patients undergoing IVF.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate transport of intrafollicular proteins Inhibin A and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) across the follicular fluid (FF)/blood barrier.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  IVF lab at a university hospital, academic, and industrial research labs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five women undertook the IVF program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follicular fluid aspirations and analysis, blood sample drawing, and serum analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Concentrations of Inhibin A, PAPP-A, and major serum proteins in FF and serum, total amount of PAPP-A, and Inhibin A in FF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FF/blood barrier permeability was calibrated using major serum proteins. The FF/serum ratio decreased with the molecular mass of proteins, and their FF and serum concentrations were well correlated. In contrast, concentrations of Inhibin A in paired serum and FF samples showed a weak correlation (r = 0.563), whereas serum and FF concentrations of PAPP-A were independent of each other. The total amount of Inhibin A in FF correlated well with concentrations of Inhibin A in paired serum samples (r = 0.858), whereas the correlation between the total amount of FF PAPP-A and PAPP-A serum concentrations remains poor (r = 0.215).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These observations suggest that at the day of oocyte retrieval, FF is a major source of serum Inhibin A but not of serum PAPP-A.
authors.affiliation: Immunotech as, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moos
authors.forename: Vanda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Filova
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavelkova
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moosova
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peknicova
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rezabek
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: C422362:inhibin A; D007265:Inhibins; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A