Frontiers in Endocrinology (Jan 2019)

Association of Vitamin D Metabolites With Embryo Development and Fertilization in Women With and Without PCOS Undergoing Subfertility Treatment

  • Thomas Keith Cunningham,
  • Thomas Keith Cunningham,
  • Victoria Allgar,
  • Soha R. Dargham,
  • Eric Kilpatrick,
  • Thozhukat Sathyapalan,
  • Stephen Maguiness,
  • Haira R. Mokhtar Rudin,
  • Nour M. Abdul Ghani,
  • Aishah Latiff,
  • Stephen L. Atkin

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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Objective: The relationship between fertilization rates and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3), 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25(OH)D2), 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (24,25(OH)2D3), and 25-hydroxy-3epi-Vitamin D3 (3epi25(OH)D3) concentrations in age and weight matched women with and without PCOS was studied.Methods: Fifty nine non-obese women, 29 with PCOS, and 30 non-PCOS undergoing IVF, matched for age and weight were included. Serum vitamin D metabolites were taken the menstrual cycle prior to commencing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.Results: Vitamin D metabolites did not differ between PCOS and controls; however, 25(OH)D3 correlated with embryo fertilization rates in PCOS patients alone (p = 0.03). For all subjects, 3epi25(OH)D3 correlated with fertilization rate (p < 0.04) and negatively with HOMA-IR (p < 0.02); 25(OH)D2 correlated with cleavage rate, G3D3 and blastocyst (p < 0.05; p < 0.009; p < 0.002, respectively). 24,25(OH)2D3 correlated with AMH, antral follicle count, eggs retrieved and top quality embryos (G3D3) (p < 0.03; p < 0.003; p < 0.009; p < 0.002, respectively), and negatively with HOMA-IR (p < 0.01). 1,25(OH)2D3 did not correlate with any of the metabolic or embryo parameters. In slim PCOS, 25(OH)D3 correlated with increased fertilization rates in PCOS, but other vitamin D parameters did not differ to matched controls.Conclusion: 3epi25(OH)D3, 25(OH)D2, and 24,25(OH)2D3, but not 1,25(OH)2D3, were associated with embryo parameters suggesting that vitamin D metabolites other than 1,25(OH)2D3 are important in fertility.

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