Serum iron status in association with pregnancy outcomes in infertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI

Abstract

Iron status can affect the outcome of in vitro-fertilization (IVF) in infertile women who undergoes this process. The aim of this study is to evaluate iron status, ceruloplasmin ferroxidase activity and their association with outcome of pregnancy prior to initiation of IVF/ICSI procedure. The participants were fertile women with male cause infertility (control; n=25), women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS; n=21), women with low anti-Müllerian hormone level (AMH; n=26), and women with unexplained infertility (UI; n=27). Blood samples were obtained on the day of oocyte aspiration. Serum iron, ferritin, transferrin level, and ceruloplasmin ferroxidase activity were measured; the transferrin saturation, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), and Unsaturated Iron Binding Capacity (UIBC) were calculated. In the low AMH group, Ferritin showed a significantly lower level compared to the control and UI groups. In the PCOS group, ferritin, transferrin, TIBC, and UIBC showed a significantly lower level compared to the control and UI groups. Cp. ferroxidase activity in the PCOS group showed a lower level but of no significance compared to the other groups. In this study, it can be concluded that higher levels of iron, ferritin, and lower transferrin in pregnant PCOS women lead to increase chances of pregnancy following an IVF protocol.