Related Experiment Videos
Inhibin-B: the physiologic basis of the clomiphene citrate challenge test for ovarian reserve screening
G E Hofmann1, D R Danforth, D B Seifer
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bethesda Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Objective:
To determine inhibin-B concentrations during ovarian reserve screening in women with normal and diminished ovarian reserve as determined by the clomiphene citrate challenge test.
Design:
Retrospective.
Setting:
Tertiary fertility center.
Patient(S):
Women undergoing ovarian reserve screening for a routine fertility evaluation.
Intervention(S):
Clomiphene citrate challenge test.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Inhibin-B concentrations on menstrual days 3 and 10.
Result(S):
Nineteen patients with normal ovarian reserve and 15 with diminished ovarian reserve had serum inhibin-B concentrations determined during ovarian reserve screening. For all patients, day 10 inhibin-B concentrations were higher than day 3. Women with normal ovarian reserve had higher inhibin-B concentrations on both days 3 and 10 than women with diminished ovarian reserve. Inhibin-B concentrations demonstrated a negative correlation with FSH levels on both cycle days 3 and 10 and a positive correlation with E2 on cycle day 10.
Conclusion(S):
Women with diminished ovarian reserve during ovarian reserve screening had reduced granulosa cell inhibin-B production compared with women with normal ovarian reserve. The lower inhibin-B concentrations may be responsible for the elevated FSH concentrations and may be indicative of the aging follicular apparatus.