title: Ovarian reserve markers in unexplained infertility patients treated with clomiphene citrate during intrauterine insemination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this retrospective case control study was to identify predictors of ovarian response and pregnancy outcomes in intrauterine insemination (IUI).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred women undergoing IUI cycles with clomiphene citrate were enrolled. The number of antral follicles and the total ovarian volume by ultrasound, and the basal levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, and inhibin B on cycle day 3 were measured in groups that were divided according to ovarian response. The tests were also evaluated according to ovarian response and pregnancy outcomes. All analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 15.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The antral follicle count (AFC) was the best single predictor for ovarian response and pregnancy outcomes. The sensitivity and specificity for prediction of ovarian response were 81% and 78% for AFC at an optimum cutoff value of ≤ 13.1. Age was negatively correlated with ovarian volume (r = -0.280, p = 0.021) and AFC (r = -0.358, p = 0.003). Increasing FSH was associated with a reduction in AFC (r = -0.273, p = 0.025). The AFC was significantly correlated with ovarian volume (r = 0.660, p < 0.0001) and FSH (r = -0.273, p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate that the AFC provides better prognostic information on the occurrence of ovarian response during clomiphene citrate stimulation for IUI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erzincan University, Erzincan, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gokalp
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oner
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erzincan University, Erzincan, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pasa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ulug
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ferhan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elmali
keywords: antral follicle count; clomiphene citrate; intrauterine insemination; ovarian reserve; unexplained infertility