title: [Impact of elevated basal follicle-stimulating hormone on the quantity and quality of oocytes and embryos and pregnancy outcomes in young women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of elevated basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on both the quantity and quality of oocytes and embryos and the clinical outcomes of pregnancy in women under 35 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was conducted for inspecting 294 in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles in women under 35 years of age. According to the basal FSH levels, the women were divided into groups A, B, and C with basal FSH of 10-14.99, 15-19.99 and ≥20 IU/L, respectively, to compare the average number of oocytes retrieved, morphologies of the oocytes and embryos, and clinical outcomes of pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group A showed greater average numbers of oocytes collected, total embryos and good-quality embryos with a lower gonadotrophin dose required to achieve follicular maturity than groups B and C. The 3 groups showed no significant differences in the percentage of metaphase II oocytes, optimal embryos-blastomere number, normal fertilization rate, cleavage rate, good-quality embryo rate, implantation rate, pregnancy rates, live birth rate or miscarriage rate, but the pregnancy rates and live birth rate tended to decrease in women with basal FSH ≥15 U/L.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In women below 35 years of age, an elevated serum FSH (especially one ≥15 U/L) indicates diminished ovarian reserve and reduced numbers of oocyte and embryo but not poor oocyte or embryos quality, and good clinical pregnancy rate can still be expected.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. chensl_92@163.com
authors: Shi-ling
authors: SL
authors: Chen
authors: Yan-qun
authors: YQ
authors: Luo
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Xia
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: Xiao-yun
authors: XY
authors: Shi
authors: Hai-yan
authors: HY
authors: Zheng
authors: Le-le
authors: LL
authors: Wang
authors: Ya-qin
authors: YQ
authors: Wu