Anti-Mullerian hormone concentrations in individual follicular fluids within one stimulated IVF cycle resemble blood serum values.
OBJECTIVE
Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is commonly known as the most potent marker for ovarian reserve due to its decline as female age increases. While serum AMH (sAMH) levels have been intensively investigated, there is less data regarding AMH concentrations in follicular fluid (FF), since FF has usually been designated as waste product during oocyte collection in assisted reproductive technologies. This pilot study investigated follicle AMH concentrations (fAMH) of several follicles per ovary, individually collected with the Steiner-Tan needle, and compared them to sAMH concentrations in women undergoing IVF treatment. We hypothesized that there is no difference of fAMH concentrations in individual follicles and that these concentrations resemble the sAMH value of the patient.


METHODS
Patients were stimulated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist ovarian hyperstimulation protocol. On the day of oocyte retrieval, serum samples and FF from all individual follicles from one stimulated IVF cycle were collected and individually analyzed for AMH concentrations.


RESULTS
Intracyclic mean fAMH values (nfollicle= 2-14) were significantly correlated to sAHM values (ρ = 0.85, p < 0.001) and showed a trend to be negatively associated with age (ρ = -0.43, p = 0.06). Mean intrapatient fAMH concentrations differed significantly (p < 0.001). Furthermore, significant correlations of sAMH with individual fAMH values of the first five follicles of each patient were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, our results clearly showed that individual fAMH concentrations reflected sAMH values and that fAMH concentrations did not significantly differ within one patient. In future studies, it will be interesting to correlate individual fAMH values to the respective embryo development and overall pregnancy outcome in order to improve IVF treatments and to refrain from embryo overproduction.
Das Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH, Am Sendergrund 11, 8143, Dobl, Austria.
Michael
M
Schenk
Exercise Physiology Lab, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
Julia Maria
JM
Kröpfl
Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, 8036, Graz, Austria.
Barbara
B
Obermayer-Pietsch
Das Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH, Am Sendergrund 11, 8143, Dobl, Austria.
Elisabeth
E
Feldmeier
Das Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH, Am Sendergrund 11, 8143, Dobl, Austria. gregor.weiss@kinderwunsch-institut.at.
Gregor
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1045-8595
G
Weiss
D000328:Adult; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D065851:Ovarian Reserve / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
D011374:Progesterone; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone
Anti-Mullerian hormone; Follicular fluid; IVF; Steiner-Tan needle