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Comparison of follicular fluid amphiregulin and EGF concentrations in patients undergoing IVF with different stimulation protocols

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Abstract

Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like growth factors, such as amphiregulin (AR) and EGF, have emerged as mediators to propagate Luteinizing hormone (LH) stimulus for the oocyte maturation throughout the preovulatory follicle, because cumulus cells and oocytes express few or no LH receptors. This study was to compare AR and EGF concentrations in follicular fluid (FF) among four controlled ovary stimulation (COS) protocols and to investigate the relationship between FF EGF-like growth factors and COS outcomes. Ninety-five patients who underwent in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer (IVF–ET) were treated by four different COS protocols, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol, GnRH-a ultra-long protocol, GnRH-a short protocol, and GnRH antagonist protocol. FF was taken on oocyte retrieval day. FF AR and EGF concentrations were measured and their correlations with COS outcomes were analyzed. FF AR concentration was significantly different from each other among four COS protocol groups (GnRH-a ultra-long protocol group, 186.12 ng/ml; GnRH-a long protocol group, 128.35 ng/ml; GnRH antagonist protocol group, 108.23 ng/ml; GnRH-a short protocol group, 77.13 ng/ml, p < 0.05). FF AR concentrations were higher in GnRH-a ultra-long and long protocol groups, while number of oocytes retrieval, available embryos, and good quality embryos in these two groups were also significantly higher than GnRH-a short protocol group and GnRH antagonist protocol group. FF AR concentration was positively correlated with available embryos, but negatively correlated with serum LH level on hCG day. FF EGF concentration had no relationship with COS parameters. Different COS protocols might have variable effects on AR synthesis. FF AR might be a good indicator to predict the number of oocytes and embryos. FF AR elevation may result in increasing the number of oocyte retrieval and embryo generation, consequently increased cumulative pregnancy rate.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank patients for providing follicular fluids and Lian Ying, Zheng Xiaoying, Li Ming, Zhen Xiumei, Wang ying, Chi Hongbin, Li Hongzhen, and Chen Yuan from Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, for their contribution to sample selection, image processing, and language revision in this study. This work was supported by 2009–2011 National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholar (grant number: 30825038) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 81170538).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, No. 49, Huayuan North Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China

    Nana Liu, Rong Li, Hongyan Jin, Min Li, Xiang Huang, Huai L. Feng & Jie Qiao

  2. Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100191, China

    Nana Liu, Rong Li, Hongyan Jin, Min Li, Xiang Huang & Jie Qiao

  3. Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproduction, Beijing, 100191, China

    Nana Liu, Rong Li, Hongyan Jin, Min Li, Xiang Huang & Jie Qiao

  4. Reproductive Medical Centre, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated of Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100026, China

    Yanmin Ma

  5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York Hospital Queens, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, 11355, USA

    Huai L. Feng

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  1. Nana Liu
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  5. Min Li
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Correspondence to Jie Qiao.

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Nana Liu and Yanmin Ma contributed equally to this work.

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Liu, N., Ma, Y., Li, R. et al. Comparison of follicular fluid amphiregulin and EGF concentrations in patients undergoing IVF with different stimulation protocols. Endocrine 42, 708–716 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-012-9706-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-012-9706-z

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