Objective: To correlate Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels with years since menarche as well as to investigate the AMH relationship with ovarian morphology and levels of androgens in healthy normo- ovulatory women and in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Design: Prospective clinical study.
Setting: University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Lito Maternity Hospital.
Patients: Forty two healthy normo-ovulatory women and sixty one women with PCOS, recruited on the basis of the classic PCOS criteria (Rotterdam consensus meeting definition of PCOS (ESHRE/ASRM, 2004).
Interventions: Fasting blood was obtained from all subjects in the early follicular phase (days 5-6) after spontaneous or induced menses (in PCOS), and transvaginal ultrasound examination was performed.
Main outcome measures: Assessment of values for follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), AMH, as well as assessments of years since menarche and ovarian volume.
Results: AMH had a statistically significant positive correlation with the ovarian volume (r =0,623, r =0,579 P<0.01) and negative correlation with years since menarche (r =-0,766, r =-0,796 (P<0.01). In women with PCOS, AMH and years since menarche had a significant correlation with testosterone (r =0,477, r = -0,527, P<0.01) CONCLUSIONS: This study underlines the relation between AMH and years since menarche as well as the AMH differences in relation with certain clinical or endocrine characteristics between normal and PCOS women.
Keywords: Anti-Müllerian hormone; PCOS; menarche; ovarian volume; testosterone.