Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on February 12, 2004
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Human Reproduction, Vol. 19, No. 3, 590-595,
March 2004
© 2004 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Intercycle variability of ovarian reserve tests: results of a prospective randomized study
1 Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility and the IVF Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 To whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: j.kwee{at}vumc.nl
BACKGROUND: This study was designed to assess prospectively the intercycle variability (ICV) of basal FSH (bFSH), clomiphene citrate challenge test (CCCT) (analysis of the CCCT was performed by the parameter: 
bFSH + sFSH) and exogenous FSH ovarian reserve test (EFORT) (analysis of the EFORT included the following parameters: estradiol (E2) increment and inhibin B increment 24 h after administration of FSH), and secondarily to assess the influence of the variability of these ovarian reserve tests. METHODS: Eighty-five regularly menstruating patients, aged 18–39 years, participated in this prospective study, randomized, by a computer-designed four-blocks system into two groups. Forty-three patients underwent a CCCT, and 42 patients underwent an EFORT. Each test was performed 1–4 times in subsequent cycles, one test per cycle. During the first three cycles, patients were treated with intrauterine insemination (IUI). Follicle number and oocyte yield during IVF ovarian stimulation in the fourth cycle were taken as measures for ovarian reserve. RESULTS: The per cycle variance of bFSH ranged from 1.8 to 4.4 (maximum to minimum ratio of 2.44, P < 0.0001), while that of CCCT ranged from 21.3 to 70.6 (3.31, P < 0.0001). No significant change in per cycle variance was found for the E2 increment (1.25, P > 0.2) and inhibin B increment (1.31, P > 0.2), which were the EFORT parameters. A large ICV of CCCT and bFSH test results was strongly associated with lower ovarian reserve. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the ICV of the inhibin B increment and the E2 increment in the EFORT is stable in consecutive cycles, which indicates that this reproducible test is a more reliable tool for determination of ovarian reserve than bFSH and CCCT. Women with limited ovarian reserve show a strong ICV of bFSH and FSH response to clomiphene citrate.
Key words: bFSH/CCCT/EFORT/intercycle variability/ovarian reserve
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M.L. Haadsma, H. Groen, V. Fidler, A. Bukman, E.M.A. Roeloffzen, E.R. Groenewoud, F.J.M. Broekmans, M.J. Heineman, and A. Hoek The predictive value of ovarian reserve tests for spontaneous pregnancy in subfertile ovulatory women Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2008; 23(8): 1800 - 1807. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B.C.J.M. Fauser, K. Diedrich, P. Devroey, and on behalf of the Evian Annual Reproduction (EVAR) Predictors of ovarian response: progress towards individualized treatment in ovulation induction and ovarian stimulation Hum. Reprod. Update, January 1, 2008; 14(1): 1 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M.L. Haadsma, A. Bukman, H. Groen, E.M.A. Roeloffzen, E.R. Groenewoud, M.J. Heineman, and A. Hoek The number of small antral follicles (2-6 mm) determines the outcome of endocrine ovarian reserve tests in a subfertile population Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2007; 22(7): 1925 - 1931. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Al-Qahtani and N. P. Groome Anti-Mullerian Hormone: Cinderella Finds New Admirers. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2006; 91(10): 3760 - 3762. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. S. Macklon, R. L. Stouffer, L. C. Giudice, and B. C. J. M. Fauser The Science behind 25 Years of Ovarian Stimulation for in Vitro Fertilization Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2006; 27(2): 170 - 207. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Lutchman Singh, M. Davies, and R. Chatterjee Fertility in female cancer survivors: pathophysiology, preservation and the role of ovarian reserve testing Hum. Reprod. Update, January 1, 2005; 11(1): 69 - 89. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.J. Hendriks, F.J.M. Broekmans, L.F.J.M.M. Bancsi, F.H. de Jong, C.W.N. Looman, and E.R. te Velde Repeated clomiphene citrate challenge testing in the prediction of outcome in IVF: a comparison with basal markers for ovarian reserve Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2005; 20(1): 163 - 169. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Elter, A. Sismanoglu, and F. Durmusoglu Variability of ovarian reserve tests Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2004; 19(9): 2170 - 2170. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|