[Inhibins in woman's hypofertility: practical interest]

Abstract

Inhibin B measurement is evolving as a very common prescription in woman's hypofertility diagnosis and follow-up. The aim of this short review of literature is to assess the pertinence of addition of this parameter in the evaluation of the ovarian reserve and in the follow-up of the ovary stimulation treatments. Many studies have been conducted but their results are controversial. According to a majority of authors, inhibin B assay does not systematically bring a discriminant input in borderline clinic cases, already documented by age, plasmatic FSH or even plasmatic estradiol, and echographic evaluation of number of antral follicles on day 3. Most recent publications however grant a growing positive interest in the inhibin B inclusion in the EFORT test as it allows to notably improve the evaluation of the ovarian reserve. Plasma inhibin B assay during the stimulation protocols does not seem to bring significant complementary information and, in any event, cannot be routinely prescribed for a therapeutic follow-up as long as there is no available rapid inhibin assay. Inhibin A evaluation is only performed in research protocols. Research developments regarding the regulation of the post-transfer luteal phase and the implantation mechanisms are still required to evaluate the accuracy of inhibin A as a marker of this still unknown stage.