Follicular-fluid anti-Mullerian hormone concentration is similar in patients with endometriosis compared with non-endometriotic patients

This cross-sectional prospective study assessed follicular-fluid anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentrations in infertile patients with mild/minimal endometriosis during natural IVF. Thirty-two women participated in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: tubal obstruction without endometriosis (control group) and minimal/mild endometriosis (study group). All patients underwent laparoscopy for assessment of infertility; at the same time, any foci of endometriosis found were cauterized. AMH concentration was measured in the follicular fluid of a single follicle when it achieved pre-ovulatory maturation by ultrasensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Likewise, AMH, FSH and inhibin B content in serum was also measured. Age (30 +/- 1.3 and 32 +/- 0.8 years) and body mass index (22 +/- 0.6 and 22 +/- 0.5 kg/m(2)), day-3 antral follicle count (11.3 +/- 1.7 and 10.7 +/- 1.5), serum FSH concentrations (5.4 +/- 0.6 and 5.0 +/- 0.3 IU/ml) and follicular-fluid AMH concentrations (1.8 +/- 0.3 and 1.5 +/- 0.1 ng/ml, study and control group, respectively; mean difference 0.33, 95% CI -0.21 to 0.88) were similar in both groups. This study shows that infertile patients with minimal/mild endometriosis have a similar concentration of AMH in the follicular fluid after natural IVF as compared with control subjects. (C) 2010, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.