The effect of different hormone therapies on anti-müllerian hormone serum levels in anovulatory women of reproductive age

Abstract

Objective. To investigate the effect of oral contraceptives (OC), metformin and ovulation induction with gonadotropins on circulating anti-müllerian hormone (AMH).

Design. Prospective clinical study.

Patients. Thirty patients with PCOS (Group 1), 15 normogonadotropic anovulatory infertile women (WHO 2) (Group 2) and 15 normoovulatory control women (Group 3). Patients in Group 1 received OC (n = 12), metformin (n = 11) or no-treatment (n = 7) for 6 months. Ovulation induction with FSH or hMG was used in Group 2.

Main outcome measures. Total follicle number (TFN) and hormonal (fasting insulin and glucose, testosterone, SHBG, LH, androstenedione and AMH) measurements at baseline and during therapy.

Results. Basal AMH and TFN were higher in Groups 1 and 2 than in controls. Only TFN was significantly related to AMH level in Groups 1 and 2. AMH level was significantly reduced during OC treatment, and there was a trend for AMH decrease during metformin therapy. No significant changes in AMH level were observed during ovulation induction. TFN was the only parameter showing a significant positive correlation with circulating AMH over the 6-month treatment period in patients in Group 2.

Conclusions. AMH is an accurate marker of the antral follicle pool in WHO-2/PCOS women but the measurement of AMH is not likely to be helpful in the management of those patients.

Keywords:

• AMH
• FSH
• hMG
• metformin
• oral contraceptives
• ovulation induction
• PCOS
• WHO 2

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.