Follicular and serum levels of vitamin D in women with unexplained infertility and their relationship with in vitro fertilization outcome: an observational pilot study

Ana Jeremic; Zeljko Mikovic; Ivan Soldatovic; Emina Sudar-Milovanovic; Esma R Isenovic; Milan Perovic

doi:10.5114/aoms/141185

Follicular and serum levels of vitamin D in women with unexplained infertility and their relationship with in vitro fertilization outcome: an observational pilot study

Arch Med Sci. 2021 Aug 17;17(5):1418-1422. doi: 10.5114/aoms/141185. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Ana Jeremic¹, Zeljko Mikovic¹, Ivan Soldatovic^{2

3}, Emina Sudar-Milovanovic⁴, Esma R Isenovic⁴, Milan Perovic^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics, "Narodni front", Belgrade, Serbia.
² Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
³ Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
⁴ Department of Radiobiology and Molecular Genetics, VINČA Institute of Nuclear Sciences - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.

Abstract

Introduction: Follicular and serum vitamin D are considered potential markers of the oocyte and embryos' quality and predictors of in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study correlated vitamin D in sera and follicular fluid of women with unexplained infertility mutually and with IVF outcomes. ELISA was used for measuring vitamin D.

Results: The results show positive correlation only between follicular and serum levels of vitamin D (Rho = 0.615, p = 0.025), and between follicular levels of vitamin D and the percentage of embryo fragmentation (Rho = 0.544; p = 0.036).

Conclusions: The results suggest that serum and follicular fluid vitamin D measurements could be complementary tools to the routine assessment of embryos.

Keywords: ART outcome; follicular fluid; vitamin D.