The effect of vitamin D status on ovarian reserve markers in infertile women: A prospective cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D deficiency and infertility are two important health problems in Iran. Some studies suggest that vitamin D may influence Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) as an ovarian reserve.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of vitamin D on AMH serum concentrations/AFC.

Materials and methods: Three hundred and five infertile women referred to the IVF Unit of Yas hospital, between July and December 2017, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The demographic characteristics of the participants, as well as the serum levels of vitamin D, AMH, and ultrasonic examination of AFC were recorded.

Results: Finally, 287 infertile women were included in the analysis with a mean age of 29.95 $\pm$ 4.73 yr (18-45 yr) and a mean Body mass indexof 25.11 $\pm$ 4.41 kg/m ${}^2$ . The median AMH and vitamin D levels were 3.20 and 22.82 ng/ml, respectively. Considering the cut-off level of 20 ng/ml, 58.7% were vitamin D deficient. Regression analysis showed no association between AMH and vitamin D levels (p = 0.161), even after adjusting for baseline variables (p = 0.182). A total of 120 patients had an AFC $<$ 6 and 164 $\ge$ 6, which was not statistically different between the groups with normal level or deficient vitamin D (p = 0.133).

Conclusion: The present cross-sectional study showed no significant association between serum levels of vitamin D and AMH or AFC in infertile women, even after adjusting for baseline variables.

Keywords: Infertility; Ovarian follicle.; Vitamin D deficiency; Anti-Müllerian hormone.

Figure 1

Correlations plot between 25-OH vitamin D and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).