ISSN Print 2500–1094
ISSN Online 2542–1204
BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL OF PIROGOV UNIVERSITY (MOSCOW, RUSSIA)
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Androgen levels in blood and follicular fluid of IVF patients with diminished ovarian reserve
About authors
Kulakov national medical research center for obstetrics, gynecology and perinatology, Moscow, Russia
Correspondence should be addressed: Alla A. Gavisova
Akademika Oparina, 4, Moscow, 117997; ur.ay@allaivag
About paper
Author contribution: Gavisova AA, Dolgushina NV — stady concept and design; Gavisova AA, Shevtsova MA — analysis, manuscript writing; Kindysheva SV — laboratory tests, statistial analysis; Starodubtseva NL, Nazarenko TA, Frankevich VE, Dolgushina NV — manuscript editing.
Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the ethical review board at the Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology (protocol № 140 of 15 December 2014). The informed consent was submitted by all study participants.
Received: 2022-07-29
Accepted: 2022-08-13
Published online: 2022-08-19
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Androgen concentrations in follicular fluid samples collected from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) may provide useful clinical indicators. This study aimed to analyze possible associations of the androgen levels in follicular fluid and blood plasma in patients with diminished ovarian reserve (POR) in IVF programs. Cross-sectional study with a parallel group design, conducted in 2019–2021, enrolled 300 patients with infertility, aged 18–42 years, applying for assisted reproduction involving IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer. The androgen profiles of blood plasma and follicular fluid were determined by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Androgen concentrations in blood plasma and follicular fluid, particularly those of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA-S), androstenedione and total testosterone, significantly correlated. The results implicate androgen levels in blood plasma and follicular fluid as early markers of POR in patients with infertility.
Keywords: testosterone, LC-MS/MS, assisted reproductive technologies, androgens, androgen deficiency, dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, reproductive age, infertility, follicular fluid