title: Value of follicular fluid vitamin D in predicting the pregnancy rate in an IVF program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether there is a correlation between levels of 25OH-D in the follicular fluid and the serum of infertile women and the results of IVF and rates of pregnancy. The association between the levels of 25OH-D in the follicular fluid and the vitamin D repletion status was also assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and twenty-one infertile women participated in an IVF cycle from 2010 to 2011 in a prospective observational study. Serum and follicular fluid were collected for vitamin D analysis. Deficient, insufficient, and sufficient levels of vitamin D were defined as 10, 10-29, and 30-100 ng/ml, respectively. IVF cycle parameters and clinical pregnancy rates were also compared with the vitamin D level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were 22.6, 70.1, and 7.2%, respectively. The fertilization rates associated with these three levels of vitamin D were 43.17, 53.37, and 58.77%, respectively, (P = 0.054), and the implantation rates were 17.33, 15.26, and 18.75%, respectively, (P = 0.579). No significant correlation was seen between the pregnancy rate and the serum vitamin D level (P = 0.094) or the follicular vitamin D level (P = 0.170). The serum and follicular fluid vitamin D levels showed a significant correlation (P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although vitamin D is an important hormone in the human body, no correlation was found between the serum and follicular vitamin D level and the pregnancy rate in the IVF cycle.
authors.affiliation: Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Bouali Ave, Safaieh, 8916877391, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Razieh Dehghani
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Firouzabadi
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.forename: Mozhgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahsepar
authors.forename: Mohammad Mahdavi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Firouzabadi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D