Endocrine Abstracts

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents the most common cause of anovulatory infertility and its etiology is still unknown. Gene expression profiles from human PCOS ovaries have identified dysregulated expression of genes encoding components of several biological pathways or systems such as Wnt signaling, extracellular matrix components, immunological factors and androgens which, seem to play a key role in the pathogenesis of PCOS.Candidate genes hav...

AMH is a dimeric protein hormone and a member of the TGF-β superfamily. AMH is first expressed in granulosa cells of primary follicles and expression persists in growing follicles up to 6 mm in diameter. In follicle stages beyond 8 mm, AMH expression diminishes and ultimately becomes undetectable once the follicle becomes FSH-dependent1. Its measurement is strongly correlated with antral follicle count and represents a reliable marker of ovarian function. It is reproducib...

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels strongly correlate with the number of antral follicles in the ovary. In women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), this is reflected by significantly increased serum AMH levels. AMH levels are therefore suggested as a proxy for polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) in PCOS diagnosis. Different assays are available to measure serum AMH levels. However, lack of a golden standard and the use of different antibodies to detect AMH, have led t...

PCOS is a common pathology in women of reproductive age, and ~70% of affected women remain undiagnosed. Clinical features of PCOS include ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism and PCOM (Rotterdam criteria). Replacement of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) with a blood test for PCOM is clinically desirable, as lack of access to TVUS may contribute to underdiagnosis of PCOS. We aimed to derive and validate a cut-off for AMH to discriminate PCOM using the Elecsys AMH Plus imm...

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age, is diagnosed based on three criteria, including a polycystic ovarian morphology. Moreover, women with PCOS have elevated serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels, a hormone known to correlate with follicle number. In addition, AMH production per follicle is suggested to be higher in PCOS. Little is known about AMH gene regulation. Hence, this study aims to inv...

Introduction: Obesity and gonadal dysfunction are major side effects of treatment in adult childhood cancer survivors. In the general population, obesity has a negative influence on female fertility. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether obesity and serum insulin are associated with decreased ovarian reserve markers in childhood cancer survivors.Methods: We performed a retrospective single-center cohort study in 191 adult female survivors of child...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by anovulation, hyperandrogenemia, and polycystic ovaries. Although the etiology of PCOS is poorly understood, the common denominator is a disturbance in the selection of the dominant follicle. TGFβ family members, such as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), suppress FSH sensitivity. Therefore their signaling pathway may contribute to the aberrant follicle development in PCOS women. We...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by anovulation, elevated levels of circulating androgens and polycystic ovaries. Although the etiology of PCOS is poorly understood, the common denominator is a disturbance in the selection of the dominant follicle. In PCOS women serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels are elevated. Since AMH reduces FSH sensitivity of growing follicles, the elevated AMH levels in PCOS patients may contribute to the disturbed follicle se...