title: Intrafollicular nerve growth factor concentration in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) in follicular fluid of women affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing to In Vitro Fertilization cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the context of an in-vivo study, a sample of 52 women was considered: 20 were without pathology (male infertility - control group) and 32 were affected by PCOS. All patients received a long stimulation protocol and the oocytes obtained by pick-up were fertilized with standard procedures of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Samples of follicular fluid (FF) were collected at oocyte pick-up. After centrifugation at 560 × g for 3 min, follicular fluid samples were frozen at -80 °C. After thawing the values of NGF in FF were determined by enzyme immunoassay ELISA using commercially available NGF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The results of study were analyzed statistically with Student's t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The content of NGF was higher in FF of PCOS patients (2023.30±587.09 pg/mL) in comparison with control group (1704.09±326.8 pg/mL; P<0.05). The levels of serum estrogen (E2) were higher in patients with PCOS (1724.24±635.79 pg/mL) than in control group (1305.3±298.12 pg/mL; P<0.05). The number of retrieved oocytes was more in PCOS patients (9.7±4.6) than in control group (8±4.4), but oocytes in metaphase II were similar in two groups (6.2±2.4 vs. 6.09±4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results show that ovaries of PCOS patients produce more NGF than non-PCOS patients; it confirms that an excess of ovarian NGF might be an abnormality contributing to polycistic ovary morphology and PCOS.
authors.affiliation: Center for Reproductive Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of General Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, S. Bambino Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy - docferdi@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Ferdinando A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giuffrida
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marilli
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Palumbo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; C502240:NGF protein, human; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor