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Investigation of the Predictive Factors of Diminished Ovarian Reserve in Women Aged Less Than 40 Years and Undergoing ICSI Cycle

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Abstract

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is one of the primary causes of poor ICSI outcomes. Therefore, this study was performed to speculate which of the following parameters: AMH, AFC, and women’s age can be used as a predictor factor of the DOR in women aged < 40 years. This prospective study enrolled 500 women suffering from idiopathic infertility problems and who underwent GnRH antagonist multiple-dose stimulation protocol. The women were divided into two groups: normal fertility (FSH ≤ 10 mIU/mL, n = 300) and DOR (FSH > 10 mIU/mL, n = 200). At the time of the study, the average of women age was 29.3 ± 5.7 years. A significant reduction was found in AMH level, AFC, number of mature, immature oocytes, fertilized oocytes, embryos transferred, and β-hCG level in the DOR group compared to the normal fertility group (P < 0.001). Conversely, a significant increase was shown in the age of the DOR group compared to the normal fertility group (30.8 ± 5.8 vs. 28.2 ± 5.4, respectively; P < 0.001). A significant negative association was found between the AFC, the number of mature oocytes, fertilized oocytes, embryos transferred, and the basal level of FSH in the DOR group (P < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) demonstrated that AMH level and AFC had the highest accuracy, followed by age in the prediction of DOR (P < 0.001) with a cut-off value of ≤ 1.2 ng/mL, ≤ 4.5, and > 29.5 years, respectively. This study exhibited that the levels of AMH and AFC are the best biomarkers, followed by age for the prediction of DOR in women < 40 years old. Furthermore, AMH is the only independent factor that is significantly related to DOR in women.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to all the doctors and clinical staff at the Al Bassma Fertility Center, Palestinian Territories.

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Correspondence to Mohammed M. Laqqan.

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This study was approved by the Palestinian Health Research Council (Reference. No. PHRC/HC/03/10), and consent was provided according to the Declaration of Helsinki. All samples were analyzed according to the guidelines and standard procedures of Al Basma Fertility Center, Palestinian Territories.

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Laqqan, M.M., Yassin, M.M. Investigation of the Predictive Factors of Diminished Ovarian Reserve in Women Aged Less Than 40 Years and Undergoing ICSI Cycle. Reprod. Sci. 30, 873–882 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-022-01055-1

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