Resistin and chemerin levels in follicular fluid of infertile women with endometriosis undergoing ICSI

Abstract

Chemerin and resistin are two adipocytokines involved in inflammatory processes that may paly a role in the development of endometriosis. The purpose of the current study was to examine the levels of chemerin and resistin in the follicular fluid (FF) of endometriosis patients and additionally, assess the association of FF chemerin and resistin with the severity of endometriosis and the number of mature oocyte and embryos. A total of 80 reproductive-aged women who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer were evaluated in this study. FF samples were obtained from subjects with (n = 40) and without endometriosis (n = 40). The concentrations of chemerin and resistin were examined using ELISA. The Resistin FF level was significantly (p-value=.03) higher in women with endometriosis than women without endometriosis, while the effect size was medium (d = 0.47). There was no significant difference in Chemerin concentration between the two groups of this study. Results also showed a tendency towards the increase of FF values of resistin and chemerin in endometriosis patients with stage III-IV than stage I-II; however, this difference was not significant. No significant correlations were found between FF levels of resistin and chemerin with the number of mature oocyte and embryos. Thus, elevated FF resistin levels may be associated with endometriosis.

IMPACT STATEMENT

• What is already known on this subject? To our knowledge, no studies have investigated chemerin levels in follicular fluid of infertile women with endometriosis undergoing ICSI. Although follicular fluid levels of resistin have been previously studied in endometriosis, it has not been studied yet whether its level is associated with the number of oocyte and embryos.

• What do the results of this study add? Our results indicate that significantly increased resistin levels in follicular fluid may be associated with the presence of endometriosis.

• What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The findings are promising in that significantly increased resistin levels may add to the knowledge of the pathophysiology of endometriosis.

Keywords:

• Adipokine
• chemerin
• endometriosis
• follicular fluid
• resistin

Acknowledgements

We thank Mrs. Tooba Yousefi for her support in the technical assistance. No sources of funding.

Author contributions

P.M and M.A. designed the study and wrote the manuscript. S.E. carried out COH and puncture of the oocytes. SF.H. collected and centrifuged the follicular fluid. M.A. performed experimental analysis, S.M. supervised the experimental analysis and P.M. conducted data analysis. P.M. and S.M. drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.