Metabolomics: the perspective search of methods to overcome infertility

Follicular Fluid and Blood Monitorization of Infertility Biomarkers in Women with Endometriosis

Infertility is recognized globally as a social disease and a growing medical condition, posing a significant challenge to modern reproductive health. Endometriosis, the third-most frequent gynecologic disorder, is one of the most common and intricate conditions that can lead to female infertility. Despite extensive research, the etiology, malignant transformation, and biological therapy of endometriosis remain unknown. Blood and follicular fluid are two matrices that have been carefully studied and can provide insights into women's health. These matrices are clinically significant because they contain metabolites closely associated with women's illness stage and reproductive outcomes. Nowadays, the application of metabolomic analysis in biological matrices may be able to predict the outcome of assisted reproductive technologies with greater precision. From a molecular viewpoint on reproductive health, we evaluate and compare the utilization of human follicular fluid and blood as matrices in analysis for diagnostic and assisted reproductive technology (ART) predictors of success for endometriosis patients. In the follicular fluid (FF), plasma, and serum of endometriosis-affected women, researchers identified dysregulations of oxidative stress, upregulation of several immune factors, and aberrations in energy metabolic pathways. The altered signatures negatively correlate with the overall oocyte and embryo quality and fertilization rate.

Follicular Fluid: A Powerful Tool for the Understanding and Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) represents one of the leading causes of anovulatory infertility and affects 5% to 20% of women worldwide. Until today, both the subsequent etiology and pathophysiology of PCOS remain unclear, and patients with PCOS that undergo assisted reproductive techniques (ART) might present a poor to exaggerated response, low oocyte quality, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, as well as changes in the follicular fluid metabolites pattern. These abnormalities originate a decrease of Metaphase II (MII) oocytes and decreased rates for fertilization, cleavage, implantation, blastocyst conversion, poor egg to follicle ratio, and increased miscarriages. Focus on obtaining high-quality embryos has been taken into more consideration over the years. Nowadays, the use of metabolomic analysis in the quantification of proteins and peptides in biological matrices might predict, with more accuracy, the success in assisted reproductive technology. In this article, we review the use of human follicular fluid as the matrix in metabolomic analysis for diagnostic and ART predictor of success for PCOS patients.