title: Normal serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels in the general female population and the relationship with reproductive history.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has been evaluated by several groups as a potential novel clinical marker of ovarian reserve. Considering the wide use of AMH measurement in daily clinical practice and the large number of conditions in which it may be used, it is essential to establish reference values in the healthy female population. In this study we aim to calculate the age-by-age normal values of circulating AMH. In addition, we report on AMH levels in women according to BMI, smoking status and reproductive history.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed at the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena, between January 2008 and December 2010. A total of 416 healthy women (aged 18-51) were recruited and serum AMH levels were measured for all of them. The centiles of AMH distribution were estimated with the CG-LMS method. The relationship between AMH levels and the womens' characteristics such as BMI, smoking status and reproductive history was analysed by using the uni- and multi-variable regression analysis and the Chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum AMH concentrations show a progressive decline with female ageing. Age-related nomograms for the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles of AMH were produced. Mean AMH concentrations were not modified by smoking habit and BMI and were independent of parity of the women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study, we established age-specific reference values for circulating AMH levels in the eumenorrheic female population. AMH measurement produces new information on ovarian pathophysiology and ovarian reserve and the establishment of reference values for AMH is the first step for a correct interpretation of the assay.
authors.affiliation: Mother-Infant Department, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy. antlamarca@libero.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Marca
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spada
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grisendi
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Argento
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papaleo
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milani
authors.forename: Annibale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volpe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D017584:Reproductive History; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone