The association between follicular fluid levels of cathepsin B, relaxin or AMH with clinical pregnancy rates in infertile patients.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of cathepsin B, relaxin and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in follicular fluid (FF) with pregnancy rates in infertility patients.


METHODS
Seventy-nine infertile couples who underwent ICSI were included in the study. The FF levels of cathepsin B, relaxin and AMH were measured using ELISA kits.


RESULTS
The FF cathepsin B levels were statistically higher in pregnant patients compared with non-pregnant patients (0.20±0.13 versus 0.13±0.03; P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in the total number of oocytes (10.00±6.85 versus 5.96±3.94); the mean number of M2 oocytes (8.65±5.63 versus 4.58±3.36) between the pregnant and non-pregnant patients (P<0.05). There were no significant correlations between pregnancy rates and relaxin and AMH (P>0.05). The area under the curve of cathepsin B for prediction of pregnancy was 0.662 (p=0.024, 95% Confidence Interval 0.528-0.797).


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that increased level of cathepsin B in FF significantly correlates with a better chance of clinical pregnancy. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of cathepsin B in the reproductive process of humans.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. Electronic address: ercan.bastu@istanbul.edu.tr.
Ercan
E
Bastu
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
Sevki Goksun
SG
Gokulu
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Ozlem
O
Dural
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Cenk
C
Yasa
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Sibel
S
Bulgurcuoglu
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Burcin
B
Karamustafaoglu Balci
Bahceci Health Group, Istanbul, Turkey.
Cem
C
Celik
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Faruk
F
Buyru
D000328:Adult; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000032:analysis*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012065:Relaxin / Q000032:analysis*; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D012065:Relaxin; D002401:Cathepsin B
AMH; Cathepsin B; Follicular fluid; Infertility; Relaxin