Cover
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2025)

Published: June 30, 2025

Pages: 14-24

Articles

Correlations between serum and follicular fluid amphiregulin growth factor with hormones, oocyte number and embryos ICSI outcome among pregnant and non -pregnant females

Zeina Alaa Baqer 1 Rana R. AL-Saadi 2 Amal Abdulwahid Mohammed 1
1AL-Alawiya Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baghdad, Iraq.
2Al-Nahrain University, College of Medicine, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Baghdad, Iraq.
History
  • Received: January 7, 2025
  • Accepted: March 30, 2025
  • Available Online: June 8, 2025
DOI

https://doi.org/10.28969/IJEIR.v15.i1.r2.25

Abstract

Amphiregulin, a growth factor inspired by LH surge, promotes oocyte maturation and follicular rupture. This study investigated whether amphiregulin growth factor levels in follicular fluid and blood serum can predict oocyte maturation and positive pregnancy rates in ICSI patients . Methods: The study included 50 women and they did ICSI from October 2024 to February 2025. Each woman got antagonist ovarian stimulation and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone. Blood samples were taken on cycle day two for infertility hormone assessment and on oocyte retrieval day for Elisa Amphiregulin growth factor estimate . Follicular fluids amphiregulin growth factor levels were significantly higher among pregnant females; however there was no significant difference of serum amphiregulin growth factor between pregnant and non- pregnant females. Out of 50 females, 11 females were had positive pregnancy test (Pregnancy rate = 22.0 %), there was a solitary positive correlation between follicular fluids amphiregulin growth factor with metaphase II oocytes count (r=0.800& p=0.003); however follicular fluids amphiregulin showed no significant correlations with other ICSI parameters. There were also no significant correlations between serum amphiregulin with all ICSI parameters. The current study found that elevated Amphiregulin (AREG) levels are linked to successful pregnancy outcomes in ICSI cycles

Keywords

References

  1. Obeagu, E. I., Njar, V. E., & Obeagu, G. U. (2023). Infertility: Prevalence and consequences. Int. J. Curr. Res. Chem. Pharm. Sci, 10(7), 43-50.
  2. Skowrońska, M., Pawłowski, M., & Milewski, R. (2023). A literature review and a proposed classification of the relationships between ovulatory infertility and lifestyle factors based on the three groups of ovulation disorders classified by WHO. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(19), 6275.
  3. Simarmata, V. P. A., Langi, L. A., & Udjung, G. I. (2023). The relationship between nutritional status and menstrual cycle regularity. International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Research, 5(1), 6-11.
  4. Riyadh Abdullah, M., & Mossa Alabassi, H. (2025). The Synergistic Effect of Autophagy and Apoptosis in Iraqi Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility, 26(1), 36-49.
  5. Hosseinzadeh, H. (2025). Reproductive System. In Fundamentals of Medicine for Biomedical Engineering (pp. 763-814). Springer.
  6. Nguyen, B. N., Britten-Jones, A. C., Bui, B. V., Walker, L. E., & Titter, P. (2025). Physiological and pathological changes to the eye and vision during and after pregnancy. Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 108(1), 5-13.
  7. Rosner, J., Samardzic, T., & Sarao, M. S. (2024). Physiology, female reproduction. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
  8. Murray, C. M., & Orr, C. J. (2020). Hormonal regulation of the Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation. In Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Endocrinology (pp. 159-167). Elsevier.
  9. Fang, L., Sun, Y.-P., & Cheng, J.-C. (2023). The role of amphiregulin in ovarian function and disease. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 80(3), 60.
  10. Akin, N., Le, A. H., Ha, U. D., Romero, S., Sanchez, F., Pham, T. D., Nguyen, M. H., Anckaert, E., Ho, T. M., & Smitz, J. (2022). Positive effects of amphiregulin on human oocyte maturation and its molecular drivers in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Human Reproduction, 37(1), 30-43.
  11. Adamson, G. D., Zegers-Hochschild, F., & Dyer, S. (2023). Global fertility care with assisted reproductive technology. Fertility and Sterility, 120(3), 473-482 .
  12. Akin, N., Le, A. H., Ha, U. D., Romero, S., Sanchez, F., Pham, T. D., Nguyen, M. H., Anckaert, E., Ho, T. M., & Smitz, J. (2022). Positive effects of amphiregulin on human oocyte maturation and its molecular drivers in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Human Reproduction, 37(1), 30-43 .
  13. Fang, L., Sun, Y.-P., & Cheng, J.-C. (2023). The role of amphiregulin in ovarian function and disease. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 80(3), 60 .
  14. Hosseinzadeh, H. (2025). Reproductive System. In Fundamentals of Medicine for Biomedical Engineering (pp. 763-814). Springer .
  15. Huang, Y., Zhao, Y., Yu, Y., Li, R., Lin, S., Zhang, C., Liu, P., & Qiao, J. (2015). Altered amphiregulin expression induced by diverse luteinizing hormone receptor reactivity in granulosa cells affects IVF outcomes. Reproductive biomedicine online, 30(6), 593-601 .
  16. Kljajic, M., Ney, J. T., Wagenpfeil, G., Baus, S., Solomayer, E.-F., & Kasoha, M. (2025). Impact of Amphiregulin on Oocyte Maturation and Embryo Quality: Insights from Clinical and Molecular Perspectives. Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, 85(01), 69-79 .
  17. Law, Y. J., Zhang, N., Kolibianakis, E. M., Costello, M. F., Keller, E., Chambers, G. M., & Venetis, C. A. (2021). Is there an optimal number of oocytes retrieved at which live birth rates or cumulative live birth rates per aspiration are maximized after ART? A systematic review. Reproductive biomedicine online, 42(1), 83-104 .
  18. Murray, C. M., & Orr, C. J. (2020). Hormonal regulation of the Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation. In Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Endocrinology (pp. 159-167). Elsevier.