title: Predictive value of anti-müllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and antral follicle count on the outcome of ovarian stimulation in women following GnRH-antagonist protocol for IVF/ET.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of three methods: the levels of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and the antral follicle count (AFC), for the prediction of the number of retrieved mature oocytes and the number of generated embryos by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in women stimulated with a GnRH-antagonist protocol.
  
  
  METHODS
  105 women were enrolled in the study. At the day 2 of a preceding cycle, AFC was performed and FSH and AMH were measured in serum by immunoenzymatic assays. All women were stimulated with a GnRH-antagonist protocol and ovulation was induced with human chorionic gonadotropin. ICSI was performed in all retrieved mature oocytes. Embryo transfers were performed at days 2-3. According to the oocytes retrieved, patients were categorized as poor (<4), normal (4-12) or high responders (>12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  AFC and the levels of baseline FSH and AMH were significantly different among poor, normal and high responders. The number of oocytes as well as the number of embryos was negatively correlated with baseline FSH and positively correlated with baseline AMH and AFC, whereas AFC showed the strongest correlation. Stepwise regression analysis indicated AFC and baseline AMH as the most significant parameters for the prediction of the number of oocytes; for the prediction of the number of embryos, the most significant parameter was AFC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AFC, baseline AMH and baseline FSH are good predictors for the outcome of ovarian stimulation in GnRH-antagonist cycles. However, AFC appears to have the best predictive value.
authors.affiliation: Embryoclinic, Thessaloníki, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsakos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tolikas
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daniilidis
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asimakopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D009865:Oocytes; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010060:Ovulation; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone