Is serum ghrelin levels associated with reproductive succes in obese woman undergoing assisted reproduction?

NOVILLO JM; CANTARELLI V; PONZIO MF; HERNÁNDEZ M; ESTOFÁN D; ESTOFÁN P; MOLINA R; MARTINI AC

Córdoba

Jornada; XVI Jornada de Investigación Científica; 2015

Female obesity is associated with subfertility, and sometimes with low serum ghrelin (Ghr) levels. Two recent clinical studies reported a negative correlation between Ghr and embryo viability or cleavage in women undergoing assisted reproduction treatments (ART). In this study we investigated, in women undergoing ICSI (intracitoplasmatic sperm injection), the possible association between serum Ghr, body mass index (BMI), other reproductive hormones and the ART success.The study included 75 women (from July 2014 to March 2015) that attended our fertility clinic (CIGOR). They were up to 39 years old, without polichistic ovarian syndrome and their male partners did not show severe male infertility. Thirty patients were normal weighted, 29 were overweighted (OW) and 16 were obese (OB) (according to their body mass index (BMI)). Neither women age nor years of sterility vary between groups, and were 34.5±0.4 and 3.6±0.3 respectively. Serum Ghr was significantly higher in OB than OW (2559.7±297.9 vs 1695.3±182.4 pg/ml, p<0.05). Linear regression analysis showed a negative association between BMI and basal concentrations of FSH (Coef.: -0,11), LH (Coef.: -0,12) and estradiol (Coef.: -1,78) and, a positive association between BMI and insulin levels (Coef.: 0,68) or BMI and days of hormonal stimulation required to obtain an adequate ovarian response (Coef.: 0,09). The number of oocytes retrieved, their maturity, fertilization index, embryo quality and cleavage or pregnancy and miscarriage percentages showed no differences between groups. In conclusion, in women undergoing ICSI, BMI variations seems to be associated with reproductive hormonal alterations, but not with subfertility.