title: Subclinical impairment of ovarian reserve in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with normal menstruation not using alkylating therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disease activity is a major factor in menstrual disorders in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients not receiving alkylating therapy. However, the ovarian reserve of SLE women with normal menstruation is still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three SLE patients naïve to cytotoxic agents (SLE group) and nineteen SLE patients receiving current or previous cyclophosphamide (CTX) therapy (without other cytotoxic agents; SLE-CTX group) were enrolled. Twenty-one age-matched healthy women served as controls. All patients and controls had a regular menstrual cycle. Basal hormone levels, including follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and antral follicle count (AFC) were analyzed in the two study groups and compared with the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between the SLE, SLE-CTX, and control groups in age, body mass index (BMI), and basal FSH and LH levels. The E2 (P=0.023) levels were high and the AMH (P=0.000) values and AFC (P=0.001) were significantly lower in the SLE and SLE-CTX groups compared to control. However, these values were similar between the SLE and SLE-CTX groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SLE patients not receiving alkylating therapy who had normal menstruation and short illness duration still had an impaired ovarian reserve.
authors.affiliation: 1 The Sixth Affiliated Hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, China .
authors.forename: Wenhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhongping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xingfang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Caiyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008598:Menstruation / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006728:Hormones; D004958:Estradiol; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone