Predictive value of antral follicle count and serum anti-Müllerian hormone: Which is better for live birth prediction in patients aged over 40 with their first IVF treatment?

[First-line management of infertile couple. Guidelines for clinical practice of the French College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2022]

OBJECTIVE

To update the 2010 CNGOF clinical practice guidelines for the first-line management of infertile couples.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Five major themes (first-line assessment of the infertile woman, first-line assessment of the infertile man, prevention of exposure to environmental factors, initial management using ovulation induction regimens, first-line reproductive surgery) were identified, enabling 28 questions to be formulated using the Patients, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (PICO) format. Each question was addressed by a working group that had carried out a systematic review of the literature since 2010, and followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE®) methodology to assess the quality of the scientific data on which the recommendations were based. These recommendations were then validated during a national review by 40 national experts.

RESULTS

The fertility work-up is recommended to be prescribed according to the woman's age: after one year of infertility before the age of 35 and after 6months after the age of 35. A couple's initial infertility work-up includes a single 3D ultrasound scan with antral follicle count, assessment of tubal permeability by hysterography or HyFOSy, anti-Mullerian hormone assay prior to assisted reproduction, and vaginal swabbing for vaginosis. If the 3D ultrasound is normal, hysterosonography and diagnostic hysteroscopy are not recommended as first-line procedures. Chlamydia trachomatis serology does not have the necessary performance to predict tubal patency. Post-coital testing is no longer recommended. In men, spermogram, spermocytogram and spermoculture are recommended as first-line tests. If the spermogram is normal, it is not recommended to check the spermogram. If the spermogram is abnormal, an examination by an andrologist, an ultrasound scan of the testicles and hormonal test are recommended. Based on the data in the literature, we are unable to recommend a BMI threshold for women that would contraindicate medical management of infertility. A well-balanced Mediterranean-style diet, physical activity and the cessation of smoking and cannabis are recommended for infertile couples. For fertility concern, it is recommended to limit alcohol consumption to less than 5 glasses a week. If the infertility work-up reveals no abnormalities, ovulation induction is not recommended for normo-ovulatory women. If intrauterine insemination is indicated based on an abnormal infertility work-up, gonadotropin stimulation and ovulation monitoring are recommended to avoid multiple pregnancies. If the infertility work-up reveals no abnormality, laparoscopy is probably recommended before the age of 30 to increase natural pregnancy rates. In the case of hydrosalpinx, surgical management is recommended prior to ART, with either salpingotomy or salpingectomy depending on the tubal score. It is recommended to operate on polyps>10mm, myomas 0, 1, 2 and synechiae prior to ART. The data in the literature do not allow us to systematically recommend asymptomatic uterine septa and isthmoceles as first-line surgery.

CONCLUSION

Based on strong agreement between experts, we have been able to formulate updated recommendations in 28 areas concerning the initial management of infertile couples.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone Assessment in Assisted Reproductive Technique Outcome and Natural Conception

In recent years, the prevalence of infertility has increased, and appears to affect approximately one in six couples. Some of them must perform assisted reproductive techniques (ART) in order to achieve pregnancy. As a result, growing interest has arisen about predictive factors of pregnancy and live birth with and without ART. Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is a glycoprotein discovered in the 1950s in male embryonic sexual differentiation. Later, in 1984, its role in folliculogenesis was reported: secreted by granulosa cells, this hormone is involved in the regulation of the recruitment of primordial follicles and in follicular growth. AMH assays were developed for women in 1990s, and the serum AMH level has rapidly become a crucial element in managing women's fertility. Based mainly on its ability to be a quantitative but indirect marker of ovarian reserve, the serum AMH assay is widely used in reproductive medicine and ART. This review summarizes current knowledge of the AMH assessment in the field of reproductive medicine. We focus on the role of AMH level to predict spontaneous pregnancy occurrence, ART outcomes, and fertility preservation outcomes.

Using serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels to predict the chance of live birth after spontaneous or assisted conception: a systematic review and meta-analysis

STUDY QUESTION

Is serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level predictive of cumulative live birth (CLB) rate after ART or in women trying to conceive naturally?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Serum AMH level is linked to CLB after IVF/ICSI but data are lacking after IUI or in women trying to conceive without ART.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Serum AMH level is a marker of ovarian reserve and a good predictor of ovarian response after controlled ovarian stimulation. It is unclear whether AMH measurement can predict CLB in spontaneous or assisted conception.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

A systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to assess whether serum AMH level may predict chances of CLB in infertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI or IUI and/or chances of live birth in women having conceived naturally.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using the following keywords: 'AMH', 'anti-mullerian hormone', 'live-birth', 'cumulative live birth'. Searches were conducted from January 2004 to April 2021 on PubMed and Embase. Two independent reviewers carried out study selection, quality, and risk of bias assessment as well as data extraction. Odds ratios were estimated using a random-effect model. Pre-specified sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were performed. The primary outcome was CLB.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

A total of 32 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, 27 articles were included in the meta-analysis of the relation between AMH and CLB or AMH and LB after IVF/ICSI. A non-linear positive relation was found in both cases. A polynomial fraction was the best model to describe it but no discriminant AMH threshold was shown, especially no serum AMH level threshold below which live birth could not be achieved after IVF/ICSI. After IVF-ICSI, only four studies reported CLB rate according to AMH level. No statistically significant differences in mean serum AMH levels were shown between patients with and without CLB, but with a high heterogeneity. After exclusion of two studies with high risks of bias, there was no more heterogeneity [I2 = 0%] and the mean AMH level was statistically significantly higher in women with CLB. There were not enough articles/data to assess the ability of AMH to predict CLB rate or find an AMH threshold after IUI or in women without history of infertility trying to conceive without ART.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The systematic review and meta-analysis had some limitations owing to the limits and bias of the studies included. In the present meta-analysis, heterogeneity may have been caused by different baseline characteristics in study participants, different stimulating protocols for ART, different serum AMH level thresholds used and the use of various assays for serum AMH. This could explain, in part, the absence of a discriminating AMH threshold found in this analysis.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Serum AMH level is linked to CLB rate after IVF/ICSI but no discriminating threshold can be established, therefore low serum AMH level should not be used as the sole criterion for rejecting IVF treatment, especially in young patients. Data are lacking concerning its predictive value after IUI or in women trying to conceive without ART. Our findings may be helpful to counsel candidate couples to IVF-ICSI.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS

No external funding was obtained for this study. There are no conflicts of interest.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42021269332.

Anti-müllerian hormone as a predictor for live birth among women undergoing IVF/ICSI in different age groups: an update of systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To update the evidence of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) as predictive factors for live birth outcome in women undergoing assisted conception and discover the modulating effect of age.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Web of Science were searched for studies published until June 2021. We included studies that measured serum AMH levels and reported the subsequent live birth outcomes. Random effects models and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristics (HSROC) models were used. The QUADAS-2 checklist was employed to assess the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

We included 27 studies (27,029 women) investigating the relationship between AMH and live birth outcome after assisted conception. The diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) from random effects models were ruled out due to high heterogeneity. Our findings suggested that AMH was associated with live birth. The DOR was 2.21 (95% CI 1.89-2.59), and 2.49 (95% CI 1.26-4.91) for studies on women with unspecified ovarian reserve and women with low ovarian reserve, respectively. The DOR of those with advanced ages was 2.50 (95% CI 1.87-2.60). For younger women, the DOR was 1.41 (95% CI 0.99-2.02). HSROCs showed that AMH had no predictive ability towards live birth in women with diminished ovarian reserve or younger age. Exclusion of Chinese cohorts lowered the heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that AMH had better prediction for live birth in advanced-age women. AMH may have implicative predictive value for assisted conception counseling of couples of advanced ages.

Development of a predictive model for luteal phase oocyte retrieval in poor responders undergoing natural cycle IVF

The aim of this study is the development of a prediction model indicating successful application of Oocyte Retrieval performed during the Luteal Phase (LuPOR) in poor responders, as defined by the retrieval of at least one MII oocyte. Recruitment included 1688 poor responders diagnosed as per Bologna Criteria, undergoing natural cycle ICSI between 2012 and 2020. Oocyte collections were performed during the follicular phase and during the luteal phase similarly. Antral Follicle Count (AFC), Estradiol (E₂) levels evaluated on both trigger days prior to Follicular Phase Oocyte Retrieval (FoPOR) and LuPOR, and the number of small follicles 8–12 mm that were not aspirated during FoPOR were identified as predictive factors indicative of an efficient LuPOR practice with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.86, 0.86, 0.89 as well as 0.82 respectively. The combination of the above-mentioned characteristics into a prediction model provided an AUC of 0.88, specificity and a sensitivity of 0.73 and 0.94 respectively and an accuracy of 0.89. The model provided a positive predictive value (PPV) of 93.5% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 46.8%. The clinical conclusion of the present study aims to be of added value to the clinician, by providing a prediction model defining the POR population benefiting from LuPOR. The high PPV of this model may renders this tool helpful for the practitioner that considers LuPOR.

The Predictive Levels of Serum Anti-Müllerian Hormone and the Combined Index of the Number of Retrieved Oocytes and Good-Quality Embryos in Advanced-Age Infertile Women

The primary objective of the study was to assess the values of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and the combined index for the prediction of number of oocytes retrieved (NOR) and number of good-quality embryos (GQE) in infertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment. A group of 521 infertile women aged 21-46 years were recruited as subject in this study. Serum AMH, hormones, and antral follicle count (AFC) were measured. The infertile women were categorized into three groups: 21-34 years (reproductive age), 35-39 years (reproductive age), and 40-46 years (advanced-age infertile). The predictive accuracy of variables was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. AFC, AFC/age ratio, AMH/age ratio, and ovarian response prediction index (ORPI) decreased gradually, while AMH decreased significantly with increase in age. Moreover, NOR and GQE were positively correlated with AFC, AMH, AFC/age ratio, AMH/age ratio, and ORPI (P < 0.001). A statistical significance was observed in predicted oocyte retrieval including AMH, AMH/age ratio, and ORPI between 21-34 years and 35-46 years; especially in the 35-46 years group, these variables reached a "high" grade in the diagnostic accuracy because area under curve (AUC) ranged from 0.982 to 0.988 significantly. No statistical significance was observed for FSH, AMH, AFC, and related combined index predicting GQE. The predictive value of AFC and AFC/age ratio was limited regarding oocyte retrieval; however, AMH, AMH/age ratio, and ORPI concurrently had an excellent value for predicting NOR in reproductive-age women, especially in advanced-age infertile women.

Supernumerary embryos, do they show the cycle success in a fresh embryo transfer? A retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the predictive value of cryopreserved embryos during single fresh blastocyst transfer.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary university hospital ART center. Patients who underwent a single fresh blastocyst transfer were selected from the electronic database. Patients with diminished ovarian reserve, uterine pathology, advanced age (>40 years) were excluded from the study. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of patients with only one available embryo for the fresh transfer. Group B consisted of patients with cryopreserved embryos apart from the fresh transferred embryo. Demographic and embryology parameters, pregnancy results were compared.

RESULTS

Demographic values, ovarian reserve parameters were comparable between groups. The number of the picked-up oocyte, metaphase-2 oocyte, and two-pronucleus embryo was lower in Group A. Positive pregnancy rates were two-fold higher in Group B (23.4% vs. 50.9% p < .01). Pregnancy results did not change depending on the number of cryopreserved embryos in Group B.

CONCLUSION

According to our results, the presence of cryopreserved embryos results in higher pregnancy rates in patients with fresh blastocyst embryo transfer independent from the woman's age and ovarian reserve. Thus, these results may help us to predict the implantation rate before embryo transfer.

Anti-Müllerian hormone as a qualitative marker - or just quantity?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

In this review, we will summarize research looking into anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) as a measure of oocyte quality.

RECENT FINDINGS

AMH is a key factor involved in embryogenesis but also in the development of early follicles. Owing to its relatively small inter and intracycle variability, it has become a widely used method of ovarian reserve testing. In the realm of assisted reproductive technology, it has demonstrated a reliable ability to gauge the number of oocytes obtained during an in-vitro fertilization cycle. For these purposes, AMH is a readily measured quantitative tool. However, its qualitative role is as yet undefined.

SUMMARY

Although levels of this hormone have been associated with fertilization, blastulation, implantation, and clinical pregnancy rates, there is no clear link with live-birth rates. Furthermore, AMH levels do not appear to correspond with risk of fetal trisomy. AMH does show significant predictive value for the risk of premature ovarian insufficiency and time to onset of menopause.

Anti-Müllerian hormone and antral follicle count differ in their ability to predict cumulative treatment outcomes of the first complete ovarian stimulation cycle in patients from POSEIDON groups 3 and 4

AIM

To explore the ability of anti-Müllerian hormone and antral follicle count to predict cumulative live birth and clinical pregnancy in the first complete ovarian stimulation cycle among patients from POSEIDON (Patient-Oriented Strategies Encompassing IndividualizeD Oocyte Number) groups 3-4.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective study was conducted on 260 patients in POSEIDON groups 3-4 (antral follicle count <5 and/or anti-Müllerian hormone <1.2 ng/mL) who first underwent complete in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles between January 2016 and June 2018. The main outcomes were cumulative live birth rate and cumulative clinical pregnancy rate.

RESULTS

Of 260 patients, 113 (43.5%) achieved clinical pregnancy and 82 (31.5%) achieved live birth in their first complete ovarian stimulation cycles. With multivariate regression analysis, age and antral follicle count were significantly correlated with cumulative clinical pregnancy, whereas age and anti-Müllerian hormone were significantly associated with cumulative live birth. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that age had the highest accuracy for the prediction of cumulative treatment outcomes. The optimal cut-off value of age was 40.5 and that of antral follicle count was 2.5 for predicting cumulative clinical pregnancy. The optimal cut-off value of age was 36.5 and that of anti-Müllerian hormone was 0.725 for predicting cumulative live birth.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that anti-Müllerian hormone is a better predictor of cumulative live birth than antral follicle count, independent of age, in the first complete ovarian stimulation cycle of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection among patients in POSEIDON groups 3-4.

The effect of vitamin D status on ovarian reserve markers in infertile women: A prospective cross-sectional study

Background

Vitamin D deficiency and infertility are two important health problems in Iran. Some studies suggest that vitamin D may influence Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) as an ovarian reserve.

Objective

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of vitamin D on AMH serum concentrations/AFC.

Materials and Methods

Three hundred and five infertile women referred to the IVF Unit of Yas hospital, between July and December 2017, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The demographic characteristics of the participants, as well as the serum levels of vitamin D, AMH, and ultrasonic examination of AFC were recorded.

Results

Finally, 287 infertile women were included in the analysis with a mean age of 29.95 ± 4.73 yr (18-45 yr) and a mean Body mass indexof 25.11 ± 4.41 kg/m 2 . The median AMH and vitamin D levels were 3.20 and 22.82 ng/ml, respectively. Considering the cut-off level of 20 ng/ml, 58.7% were vitamin D deficient. Regression analysis showed no association between AMH and vitamin D levels (p = 0.161), even after adjusting for baseline variables (p = 0.182). A total of 120 patients had an AFC < 6 and 164 ≥ 6, which was not statistically different between the groups with normal level or deficient vitamin D (p = 0.133).

Conclusion

The present cross-sectional study showed no significant association between serum levels of vitamin D and AMH or AFC in infertile women, even after adjusting for baseline variables.

Predictive Factors for Live Birth in Autologous in Vitro Fertilization Cycles in Women Aged 40 Years and Older

Background

The aim of the study was to determine predictive factors for live birth after in vitro fertilization with autologous oocytes in women ≥40 years of age.

Methods

Authors conducted a retrospective analysis of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycles performed at the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecologic Endocrinology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Slovenia between January 2006 and December 2015 in women aged 40 or more. The characteristics of patients and cycles were compared regarding live birth as the final outcome.

Results

A total of 1920 IVF/ICSI cycles with egg retrieval in women ≥40 years of age were performed leading to 1591 embryo transfers. The live birth rate per embryo transfer was 17.3% at 40, 11.6% at 41, 8.2% at 42, 7.9% at 43, 1.9% at 44 and 0.0% at ≥45 years of age. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that besides women’s age (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.55–0.78), the number of previous cycles (OR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82–0.95), number of good quality embryos on day 2 (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.36), number of embryos transferred (OR 1.57, 95% CI: 1.19–2.07) and day 5 embryo transfer (OR 2.21, 95% CI: 1.37–3.55) were also independent prognostic factors for live birth.

Conclusions

The chance of in vitro fertilization success in women ≥40 years of age should not be estimated only on the woman’s age, but also on other predictive factors: number of previous cycles, number of good quality embryos on day 2, number of transferred embryos and blastocyst embry transfer.

Ovarian Reserve Markers to Identify Poor Responders in the Context of Poseidon Classification

It is well-known that poor ovarian reserve is a cause of infertility, poor response to gonadotrophin stimulation and poor success rate after in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Some years ago a consensus was elaborated on precise criteria which can lead to a correct identification of poor responders (the Bologna criteria). More recently, the POSEIDON group has proposed a new stratified classification of patients with low prognosis, also with the aim of providing clinical indications for the management of these patients. A literature search was carried out for studies that investigated the ability of ovarian reserve markers, in particular AMH and AFC, to predict poor ovarian response in IVF cycles; secondly, studies regarding the Bologna criteria and their prognostic value were analyzed and available literature on POSEIDON classification was reported. The most recent markers of ovarian reserve (serum AMH and ultrasound AFC) have shown to provide a direct and accurate measurement of ovarian follicle pool. These markers have generally shown comparable predictive power for ovarian response and a number of retrieved oocytes in IVF cycles. "Abnormal ovarian reserve test" is a very important parameter both in the Bologna criteria and in the POSEIDON classification. Several studies have already been published about the reproductive outcome of patients defined as poor responders according to the ESHRE Bologna criteria: all of them agree on the poor IVF outcome and low pregnancy rate of these patients. Instead, being the POSEIDON classification of very recent publication, the efficacy of the POSEIDON approach in improving management and outcomes of POR patients has yet to be tested and validated with future prospective clinical trials. Prediction of poor response may help clinicians choose the stimulation protocol with the aim of gaining patient compliance and cost reduction, and many efforts have been made by researchers in this sense, including the formulation of the Bologna criteria and of the POSEIDON classification, in which the ovarian reserve markers (AMH and AFC) play a fundamental role.