Recent progress in the utility of anti-Müllerian hormone in female infertility

Abstract

AMH is a glycoprotein secreted by the granulosa cells of small growing follicles and indirectly reflects the primordial follicle pool. The ovaries contain a limited number of primordial follicles and their depletion marks the menopause. Thus, the remaining primordial follicle pool is referred to as the ovarian reserve. The clearest data for the clinical utility of AMH is in the context of IVF. The support for other indications is weaker, but rapidly increasing.

Comparison of Specificity and Sensitivity of AMH and FSH in Diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Failure

“…Besides, patients with POF are prone to be involved with adverse effects of menopausal state; therefore early detection of POF can lead to primary prevention of these adverse effects such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases [18]. …”

Anti‐mullerian hormone levels decline with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies

“…1 Because the number of growing follicles statistically also relates to the size of the resting primordial follicle pool, AMH can also be viewed to reflect (total) ovarian reserve. 1,2 As long as other contributing factors to low AMH can be excluded, low age-specific AMH, therefore, can be viewed as evidence for LFOR, and of expected consequences such as low oocyte and embryo yields in in vitro fertilization, poor egg and embryo quality, and relatively poor pregnancy and live birth rates in comparison with women with age-specific normal FOR. 2 LFOR in association with POA/oPOI and POF/POI has only few known causes, with autoimmunity, likely, being perceived as the most frequent one.…”

“…1,2 As long as other contributing factors to low AMH can be excluded, low age-specific AMH, therefore, can be viewed as evidence for LFOR, and of expected consequences such as low oocyte and embryo yields in in vitro fertilization, poor egg and embryo quality, and relatively poor pregnancy and live birth rates in comparison with women with age-specific normal FOR. 2 LFOR in association with POA/oPOI and POF/POI has only few known causes, with autoimmunity, likely, being perceived as the most frequent one. 3 Specific immunological markers directed at ovarian epitopes are, however, lacking.…”

“…1 FOR is widely assessed by measuring anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. 2 At young ages, especially under the age of 38 years, abnormally low age-specific FOR (LFOR) is a characteristic sign of premature ovarian aging (POA), also called occult primary ovarian insufficiency (oPOI) and, in most extreme cases, of premature ovarian failure (POF), also called primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). 1 Because the number of growing follicles statistically also relates to the size of the resting primordial follicle pool, AMH can also be viewed to reflect (total) ovarian reserve.…”

Psychological stress is related to a decrease of serum anti-müllerian hormone level in infertile women

“…Anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) is a glycoprotein secreted by the granulosa cells of small growing follicles and has been proved a reliable clinical marker of ovarian reserve [8, 9]. Compared with age, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels on day 3 of the menstrual cycle, estradiol (E2) levels or inhibin levels, AMH is a better marker in predicting ovarian response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) [10].…”