Association of body mass index, age, and cigarette smoking with serum testosterone levels in cycling women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Wang

et al. 2014

J Assist Reprod Genet

Purpose To evaluate basal testosterone (T) levels in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles and examine the association between basal T levels and ovarian response or IVF pregnancy outcome. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 1413 infertile Chinese women undergoing their first IVF treatment at our institution's reproductive center from March 2011 to May 2013. The basal testosterone (T) levels in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the relationship between basal T levels and ovarian response or IVF pregnancy outcome were determined. These patients did not have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or endometriosis, and were treated with a long luteal down-regulation protocol. Subjects were divided into 2 groups according to basal testosterone (T) levels: Group 1, basal T values <20 ng/dl (n=473), and Group 2, basal T values >20 ng/dl (n=940). We evaluated the association of basal T levels with ovarian response and IVF outcome in the two groups. Results In this study, BMI, basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, basal luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, antral follicle count (AFC), days of stimulation, total gonadotrophin dose, basal FSH/LH ratio, and the number of follicles >14 mm were significantly different (P<0.05) between the two groups. Basal T level positively correlated with ovarian reserve function, number of follicles >14 mm on human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) day, and total gonadotropin dose. However, basal T levels play no role in predicting IVF pregnancy outcome. Conclusion Basal T level can be used as a good predictor for ovarian response and the number of large follicles on HCG day. Additionally, we may use basal T level as a marker to predict FSH dosage. In general women, lower level of T might relate with potential poor ovarian response. However, based on our data, basal T levels do not predict pregnancy outcome.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Basal serum testosterone levels correlate with ovarian response but do not predict pregnancy outcome in non-PCOS women undergoing IVF

Wang

et al. 2014

J Assist Reprod Genet

“…Testosterone increases murine follicle responsiveness to FSH (Wang et al 2001), and androstenedione stimulates FSH-mediated differentiation of bovine granulosal cells, as indicated by an increase in aromatase activity and E 2 production (Hamel et al 2005). In women, serum androgen levels are correlated with the ovarian response to FSH, as assessed by the peak E 2 levels and the number of follicles and number of oocytes and embryos retrieved (Barbieri et al 2005), and significant positive correlations exist between the AFC and both baseline and stimulated steroid serum concentrations (Hugues et al 2010). Therefore, cattle with a high AFC and higher serum androgen concentrations could have an enhanced ovarian sensitivity to FSH, and this could in turn explain why a greater number of follicles are recruited per wave, despite the lower serum concentrations of FSH compared with cattle with a lower AFC.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence that high variation in antral follicle count during follicular waves is linked to alterations in ovarian androgen production in cattle

Mossa¹,

Jimenez-Krassel²,

Folger³

et al. 2010

Reproduction

Androgens have an important role in ovarian follicular growth and function, but circulating androgen concentrations are also associated with ovarian dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders in women. The extent and causes of the variation in androgen production in individuals, however, are unknown. Because thecal cells of follicles synthesize androstenedione and testosterone, variation in production of these androgens is hypothesized to be directly related to the inherently high variation in number of healthy growing follicles in ovaries of individuals. To test this hypothesis, we determined whether thecal CYP17A1 mRNA (codes for a cytochrome P450 enzyme involved in androgen synthesis), LH-induced thecal androstenedione production, androstenedione concentrations in follicular fluid, and circulating testosterone concentrations were lower in cattle with relatively low versus high number of follicles growing during follicular waves and whether ovariectomy reduced serum testosterone concentrations. Results demonstrated that cattle with a low follicle number had lower (P!0.05) abundance of CYP17A1 mRNA in thecal cells, reduced (P!0.01) capacity of thecal cells to produce androstenedione in response to LH, lower (P!0.01) androstenedione concentrations in ovulatory follicles, and lower (P!0.02) circulating testosterone concentrations during estrous cycles compared with animals with high follicle number. Also, serum testosterone in cattle with low or high follicle number was reduced by 63 and 70%, respectively, following ovariectomy. In conclusion, circulating androgen concentrations are lower in cattle with low versus high number of follicles growing during follicular waves, possibly because of a reduced responsiveness of thecal cells to LH.

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &Amp; Prevention

“…Additionally, the molecular clearance rate of estradiol is positively associated with weight, also potentially reducing total estradiol levels (60). There are no clear feedback mechanisms for testosterone (55,(61)(62)(63), such that free testosterone levels are higher with increasing BMI.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Birthweight and Body Size throughout Life in Relation to Sex Hormones and Prolactin Concentrations in Premenopausal Women

Tworoger

Eliassen

Missmer

et al. 2006

Self Cite

The association of birthweight and body size throughout life with premenopausal breast cancer risk may be due, in part, to relationships with sex hormones. Therefore, we assessed whether birthweight, body shape at ages 5 and 10, body mass index (BMI) at age 18 and adulthood, adult waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and attained height were associated with the plasma concentrations of estrogens, androgens, progesterone, prolactin, and sex hormone -binding globulin (SHBG) in 592 premenopausal women, ages 33 to 52 years old, from the Nurses' Health Study II. About 85% of women provided blood samples during follicular and luteal menstrual phases; other women had a single untimed sample. We observed few associations between sex hormone levels and birthweight or body shape in childhood. However, adult BMI was inversely associated with SHBG (P trend < 0.001) and positively associated with free testosterone (P trend < 0.001) concentrations. Adult BMI was not associated with follicular or luteal free estradiol levels (P trend z 0.15) because it was inversely associated with total estradiol levels (P trend < 0.001 for follicular and luteal estradiol levels). Testosterone, androstenedione, and progesterone were inversely associated with BMI. Comparing women with a BMI of z30 versus <20 kg/m 2 , levels were higher by 53% for free testosterone and lower by 51% for SHBG, 39% for follicular estradiol, 20% for luteal estradiol, 14% for androstenedione, 13% for testosterone, and 20% for progesterone. We observed no clear associations between BMI at age 18, waist circumference, WHR, or height, and sex hormone concentrations. Our results suggest that effects on premenopausal sex hormone levels may be one mechanism through which adult adiposity, but not birthweight or childhood body size, affects premenopausal breast cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(12):2494 -501)