Does estrogen directly modulate anti-müllerian hormone secretion in women?

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether estrogen may modulate anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) expression in women.

Design: Prospective analysis.

Setting: Fertility clinic of tertiary university hospital.

Patient(s): Cycling infertile women.

Intervention(s): Blood samples were taken at the early, middle, and late follicular phase in five groups: spontaneous cycle (n=10), ovulation induction with clomiphene-citrate (n=15) or gonadotropins (n=9), controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF (COH-IVF; n=10) and in women who were treated with exogenous E2 for frozen-thawed embryo-transfer (FET) with no follicular development (n=20).

Main outcome measure(s): AMH and E2 serum levels.

Result(s): Basal serum AMH and E2 levels were similar in all groups. AMH levels were stable in all women during the follicular phase except for significant reduction in the COH-IVF group. In women in the FET group with high E2 levels, comparable to the COH-IVF group, AMH levels remained stable.

Conclusion(s): In women, estrogen does not appear to have a direct role in AMH regulation.