L’évaluation de la réserve ovarienne

Impact of disease activity and treatments on ovarian reserve in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the ESPOIR cohort

OBJECTIVES

Patients with RA have a higher prevalence of infertility than the general population. This study sought to examine the impact of RA disease activity and treatments on ovarian reserve measured by serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in the ESPOIR cohort. We sought to better define the indications for fertility preservation.

METHODS

Patients and serum analysis data were derived from the French national cohort ESPOIR. Enrolled patients (n = 102; 18-37-year-olds) fulfilled ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria for RA. Serum AMH levels were measured at T0, T6, T12, T24 and T36 months post-diagnosis. The impacts of RA activity (DAS28 and CRP level) and treatments (MTX only or with other medications) were evaluated at each study visit.

RESULTS

A gradual decrease in patients' serum AMH levels was observed over time, in line with the descending curve described for healthy women. Serum AMH levels of RA patients in comparison with the values considered normal for age did not reveal any significant differences (P > 0.05). We did not observe any impact of RA treatments. We demonstrated an inverse correlation between AMH variation and disease activity (DAS28: r = -0.27, P = 0.003; CRP: r = -0.16, P = 0.06).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to determine serum AMH levels of a large cohort of RA patients over 36 months. Rapid disease activity control appears to be required to limit changes in the ovarian reserve. Fertility preservation is not likely to be necessary if inflammation is promptly controlled.

CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER

NCT03666091.

[Infertility over forty: Pros and cons of IVF]

The population attempting pregnancy and having babies is ageing. The declining fertility potential and the late age of motherhood are increasing significantly the number of patients over forty consulting infertility specialists. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) cannot compensate the natural decline in fertility with age. In France, in public hospital, ART is free of charge for women until 43 years, over 43, social insurance does not reimburse ART. Hence, 43 years is the usual limit, but between 40 and 42 is ART useful? The answer varies according to physicians, couples or society. On medical level, the etiology of the infertility must be taken into account. If there is an explanation to infertility (male or tubal infertility) ART is better than abstention. If the infertility is only due to age the question is raised. In France, the reimbursement by the society of a technique with very low results is discussed. However efficacy is not absolutely compulsory in Medicine. On the opposite to give false hopes may be discussed too. To obtain a reasonable consensus is rather difficult.

Can Doppler study of the ovarian artery predict the fertility outcome of intrauterine insemination?

BACKGROUND

To test the velocimetric pattern of the ovarian artery as a routine ovarian reserve test.

METHODS

We enrolled 317 consecutive patients from January 2011 to June 2012. At the second day of the menstrual cycle, a transvaginal ultrasound was performed to evaluate the antral follicle count and ovarian volume, and Doppler of both ovarian arteries was also performed. Controlled ovarian stimulation was performed and the patients were divided in two groups according to the result of the intrauterine insemination: group A (nonpregnant women) and group B (pregnant women).

RESULTS

Ovarian velocimetric pattern was similar between the two groups. Follicle stimulating hormone value had a significant correlation with the ultrasound markers; however, the multiple regression linear analysis showed that the only independent variables were the antral follicle count (t = -2.74, p = 0.008) and the systolic/diastolic ratio (t = 3.95, p = 0.0005). The best parameters in predicting the pregnancy were the mean ovarian volume, total and partial antral follicle count between 7 and 10 mm, and the mean resistance index (area under the curve: 0.744, 0.671, 0.667, 0.573, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The Doppler study of the ovarian arteries did not add significant information about the ovarian reserve status. Only the mean resistance index had a significant diagnostic accuracy, but its specificity (53%) is too low to consider it a screening test.

[Low circulating anti-Müllerian hormone and normal follicle stimulating hormone levels: which prognosis in an IVF program?]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the results of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for IVF in patients with low anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and normal basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Estradiol levels (≤50 pg/mL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study including 704 patients for whom AMH and FSH levels (measured between days 3 and 5 of the menstrual cycle) were available, is performed in the IVF center at the Sèvres Hospital (France). Three groups are designed and analyzed: group 1 with AMH less or equal to 2 ng/mL and FSH less or equal to 10 mUI/mL (study group), Group 2 with AMH greater than 2 ng/mL and FSH less or equal to 10 mUI/mL (control group) and Group 3 with AMH less or equal to 2 ng/mL and FSH greater than 10 mUI/mL (group with decreased ovarian reserve).

RESULTS

IVF outcome for patients from the study group is significantly worse than that of the second but not than that of the third group. In the first group, the number of retrieved oocytes, the number of total obtained embryos, the clinical pregnancy rate and the live birth rate are significantly lower than in the second group; moreover, there are more cancelled cycles because of poor response in the first group. There is no difference with the third group.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that women with a low baseline AMH have a similar response to COH to the poor responders patients with a decreased ovarian reserve revealed by an elevated FSH level. Thus, when a woman undergoing IVF cycle presents a low AMH, she might be considered as a poor responder patient regardless of the FSH level and, although the clinical pregnancy rate is not so disappointing (18%), the couple should be informed of a higher risk of cycle cancellation.