Abstract
Purpose: Serum concentrations of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a glycated homodimeric plasma transport protein, correlate positively with the total number of follicles in women with infertility. However, the relationship between serum SHBG concentrations and the ovarian response during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and whether this relationship differs between women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains unclear.Methods: The study cohort included 120 participants (60 non-PCOS and 60 PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization. Serum samples were collected from each participant every 2–3 days during the COH cycle. The concentrations of serum SHBG and other sex hormones were determined to investigate the relationship between serum SHBG concentrations and the ovarian response in women with and without PCOS.Results: We found that the serum SHBG concentration was positively correlated with the ovarian response in non-PCOS patients but not in PCOS patients.Conclusion: The serum SHBG concentration may be clinically useful as a predictor of the ovarian response during COH in patients without PCOS.
Highlights
Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is critical for follicle development and oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization (IVF)
We found that the serum Sex-hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) concentration was positively correlated with the ovarian response in non-polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients but not in PCOS patients
The serum SHBG concentration may be clinically useful as a predictor of the ovarian response during COH in patients without PCOS
Summary
Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is critical for follicle development and oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Locally produced, membrane-bound SHBG exerts direct effects on the cellular uptake of sex steroids and cell proliferation in hormone-responsive tissues through the activation of a specific high-affinity receptor present in the plasma membrane [7]. Such direct effects of SHBG occur in the ovaries, corpora lutea, and luteinized granulosa cells [8]. The SHBG rs6259 polymorphism correlates with the outcomes of IVF treatment [10] This evidence further suggests that SHBG plays a role in ovarian follicle development and IVF outcomes, and it raises the question of whether serum SHBG concentrations correlate with the degree of ovarian response during COH
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