The Effect Of Serum And Follicular Fluid Hypoxia İnducible Factor 1α On İnvitro Fertilization Outcomes İn Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Abstract Objective: To investigate serum and follicular fluid (FF) HIF-1α levels in nonobese, nonhyperandrogenic patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), in addition to IVF outcomes. Materials and Methods: A prospective sequential cross-sectional study carried at a Research and Education Hospital. In total, 160 patients undergoing IVF treatment were included in the study: 80 patients diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria (group I, study) and 80 patients with the etiology of male factor infertility (group II, control). Results: There were statistically significant between-group differences in serum estradiol (E2) levels on the day of hCG administration (2,377.00 ± 733.23 versus 1,931.3 ± 1,010.69), the total gonadotropin dose required (2,000.63 ± 1,051.87 versus 1.134.69 ± 286.45), and the total number of retrieved oocytes (8.60 ± 2.06 versus 11.05 ± 4.39) (P < 0.05). There was also a statistically significant between-group difference in serum and FF HIF-1α levels on the day of oocyte retrieval (0.21 + 0.06 versus 0.17 + 0.04, P = 0.001; 0.09 + 0.05 versus 0.06 + 0.03 P = 0.007; respectively). Conclusions: In a selected population of nonobese, nonhyperandrogenic PCOS patients, there was a significant difference in HIF-1α levels of the PCOS group versus those of the control group. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of HIF-1α in women with PCOS and to develop a new marker to monitor treatment outcomes.