Date of Award

6-2010

Document Type

Union College Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Brian Cohen

Language

English

Keywords

embryo, hormone, serum, pregnancy, fertilization, stimulation

Abstract

Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) is a TGF-β protein essential to sexual differentiation during embryogenesis of the fetal male. Although AMH is best known for inducing apoptosis in target tissue, recent studies suggest that this hormone positively regulates the viability of pre-ovulatory oocytes by preventing atresia and over-selection by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This study has been a retrospective analysis in which serum AMH levels of 171 female In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) patients treated at Albany IVF & Infertility between 2007 and 2009 were correlated with factors describing oocyte quality and pregnancy success. As AMH is a classic inducer of apoptosis, yet reduces oocyte sensitivity to excessive FSH stimulation, it was hypothesized that median serum AMH levels would correspond with good quality oocytes and pregnancy success. Results suggest that AMH levels in the 75th-100th percentile are associated with a greater number of retrieved oocytes after ovulation induction, successful fertilization and embryo cleavage, good quality blastocyst formation, lower serum FSH values and administered gonadotropin, as well as successful ongoing pregnancy. Overall, this study reveals AMH to be a mediator of oocyte quality and a key marker that may predict patient response to assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures. Establishing AMH as a routine and relevant measurement in infertility clinics may help to alleviate the fiscally and emotionally taxing nature of ART for patients and practitioners.

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