News at MILab

July 29, 2000

Announcement
Visit us at the 56th American Society for Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting, October 21-26, 2000, in San Diego, California (booth # to be announced).

Featured Article
Published in FERTILITY AND STERILITY, VOL. 74, NO. 1, JULY 2000 is an interesting article by Anuja Dokras, M.D., et al: "Secretion of inhibin B during ovarian stimulation is decreased in infertile women with endometriosis."

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the levels and patterns of inhibin B secretion during ovarian stimulation in patients in an IVF center with endometriosis and to evaluate the correlation between inhibin B levels and variables of follicular and oocyte development. The patients consisted of women with endometriosis (n = 20) and tubal factor (n = 10) as the cause of infertility.

Inhibin B levels were measured during gonadotropin stimulation on day 1, days 8-11, day of hCG administration, and oocyte retrieval. The outcome measured patterns and levels of inhibin B secretion were compared in the two groups. Other variables analyzed were age, days of gonadotropin stimulation and total ampules used, oocytes retrieved, and the fertilization and pregnancy rate.

The conclusion reached demonstrated decreased inhibin B secretion in patients with endometriosis suggests impaired granulosa cell function. Inhibin B may serve as an alternative marker to assess follicular development or to predict the number of oocytes retrieved.