The outcome of the IVF treatment was correlated with the percentage apoptotic granulosa cells. In patients who became pregnant, a significantly lower percentage of granulosa-lutein cells were apoptotic compared to those who did not become pregnant. A higher basal FSH level was significantly correlated with the duration of the stimulation, and the number of follicles was significantly inversely correlated with the number of ampoules of FSH used and the duration of the treatment. The number of embryos was significantly correlated with the number of oocytes, and significantly inversely correlated with the number of apoptotic granulosa-lutein cells. We concluded that women with healthy follicles are more likely to become pregnant after IVF than women with less healthy follicles.
Ovarian reserve is crucial for the prognosis of infertility therapy.
Usually, basal FSH is measured in serum on cycle day three in order to determine ovarian reserve. Due to the fluctuation of FSH secretion in serum and the invasiveness of the assay, we have worked on the development of an assay to measure FSH in urine. Chapter five describes this assay. We have determined urinary FSH levels as well as serum FSH levels in forty perimenopausal women. Determination of optimal storage conditions revealed that urine was best kept at 4 C without any additive.