Skip Navigation



Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on September 27, 2006
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/del207
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
21/12/3091    most recent
del207v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Asimakopoulos, B.
Right arrow Articles by Nikolettos, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Asimakopoulos, B.
Right arrow Articles by Nikolettos, N.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received November 1, 2005
Revised April 20, 2006
Accepted May 3, 2006

Article

Cytokine and hormonal profile in blood serum and follicular fluids during ovarian stimulation with the multidose antagonist or the long agonist protocol

Byron Asimakopoulos 1, F. Köster 2, R. Felberbaum 3, S. Al-Hasani 2, K. Diedrich 2, and Nikos Nikolettos 1 *

1 Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, Alexandroupolis, Greece
2 Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University Clinic of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
3 Clinic for Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Kempten, Kempten, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nikos Nikolettos, E-mail: nnikolettos{at}hotmail.com


  Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to explore cytokine and hormonal profiles in blood and follicular fluids from normal women stimulated with either the multidose antagonist or the long agonist protocol. METHODS: Fifty-six patients were stimulated with the multidose antagonist protocol and 12 with the long agonist protocol. Interleukin (IL)-1b, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-a (TNFa), leptin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), estradiol (E2), progesterone and testosterone levels were measured in serum and follicular fluids by immunoassays. RESULTS: The two treatment groups had similar cytokine concentrations in serum. The intrafollicular concentrations of IL-1b, IL-6, VEGF and leptin were also similar in the two groups. The concentrations of bFGF in follicular fluids from the antagonist group (169.5 ± 113.2 ng/ml) were lower than those from the agonist group (249.7 ± 119.8 ng/ml). bFGF concentrations were correlated with the amount of administered gonadotrophins (R = 0.364, P < 0.01) which was significantly lower in the antagonist group (antagonist group: 2037.7 ± 725.8 IU; agonist group: 2836.4 ± 1163.5 IU). CONCLUSIONS: Normal women stimulated with either the multidose antagonist or the long agonist protocol generally have similar cytokine profiles in serum and follicular fluids. The intrafollicular levels of bFGF tend to be lower in antagonist cycles because of the lower amount of administered gonadotrophins.

Keywords: cytokines/estradiol/FGF/ovarian stimulation/progesterone.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Reproductive SciencesHome page
C. Metallinou, B. Asimakopoulos, A. Schroer, and N. Nikolettos
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone in the Ovary
Reproductive Sciences, December 1, 2007; 14(8): 737 - 749.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.