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Tight interplay in early pregnancy between follistatin and anti-mullerian hormone in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Follistatin levels increase during the course of pregnancy and may play a role in ovarian arrest, reflected by the simultaneous decrease of anti-mullerian-hormone (AMH) levels. The aim of the study was to investigate AMH and follistatin levels during the hormonal window at the beginning of pregnancy. Since both parameters are described as deregulated in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), subgroup analysis of PCOS patients may additionally elucidate their interplay and effects on ovarian activity.

Methods

Serum samples were retrospectively analyzed using the AMH Gen II ELISA and the Human Follistatin Quantikine ELISA Kit. Samples were collected longitudinally from 57 patients (32 with PCOS and 25 controls) before conception and during the first trimester. In 18 patients, measurements from the early and the late first trimester were available. Potential associations of AMH and follistatin levels with PCOS-related parameters were compared between the subgroups as well as longitudinally before and in the first trimester of pregnancy. For statistical analysis, the Spearman’s correlation, Wilcoxon test, t test, Friedman test and multiple linear regression analysis was performed.

Results

In contrast to AMH, follistatin levels differed not between controls and PCOS patients before and in pregnancy. In both subgroups, AMH levels significantly decreased and follistatin levels significantly increased in longitudinally performed measurements before conceiving and in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Conclusion

Follistatin levels are not suited as a biomarker for PCOS, but could be involved in suppressing ovarian activity, as reflected by AMH levels at the beginning of pregnancy.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the laboratory staff and the nurses of the University Hospital of Essen, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, for technical assistance and data documentation. We are grateful to Dr. Florence Witte for English editing and critical reading of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by the University of Duisburg-Essen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122, Essen, Germany

    Angela Köninger, Antje Kampmeier, Pawel Mach, Rainer Kimmig & Alexandra Gellhaus

  2. Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122, Essen, Germany

    Boerge Schmidt

  3. Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 440, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Thomas Strowitzki

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  1. Angela Köninger
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Contributions

A.Kö: project development, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing; A.Ka: data collection, data analysis, biochemical analysis; PM: data analysis; BS: data analysis, manuscript editing; TS: data analysis, manuscript editing; RK: project development; AG: project development, manuscript writing.

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Correspondence to Angela Köninger.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany (No. 11-4643).

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Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Köninger, A., Kampmeier, A., Mach, P. et al. Tight interplay in early pregnancy between follistatin and anti-mullerian hormone in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Arch Gynecol Obstet 297, 1307–1316 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4718-4

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