Some aspects of interactivity between endocrine and immune systems required for successful reproduction

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Research

Emanuela Lazzaroni-Tealdi¹  Yan-Guang Wu¹  Vitaly A Kushnir¹  Yao Yu¹  Eric Himaya²  Andrea Weghofer³  David H Barad⁴  Norbert Gleicher⁴ 

[1] Center for Human Reproduction, New York, NY, USA;Center for Human Reproduction, New York, NY, USA;Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada;Center for Human Reproduction, New York, NY, USA;Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Center for Human Reproduction, New York, NY, USA;Foundation for Reproductive Medicine, New York, NY, USA;

关键词: Immune system activation;    Androgens;    Testosterone;    In vitro fertilization (IVF);    Embryo quality;    infertility;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12958-015-0020-5

 received in 2014-12-03, accepted in 2015-03-15,  发布年份 2015

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn successful reproduction, endocrine and immune systems closely interact. We here attempt to further elucidate the relationship between androgen levels, systemic activation of the immune system and reproductive success in infertile women, utilizing 2 distinct infertile patient cohorts.MethodsIn Group 1, we investigated 322 women (ages 38.6 +/− 5.4 years) at initial presentation; in Group 2 125 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (169 IVF cycles, ages 38.9 +/− 5.5 years). In Group 1, we assessed androgens and an immune panel, previously demonstrated to discriminate between activated quiescent immune systems; in Group 2, utilizing the same immune panel, we investigated whether immune system activation relates to embryo quality in IVF cycles.ResultsNo individual immune test within the immune panel was associated with androgen levels. The total/free testosterone ratio (TT/FT) was, however, significantly associated with presence of gammopathies (in IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE; P = 0.026). Surprisingly, immune system activation was associated with significantly improved embryo quality (P = 0.008), a finding persistent after adjustment for age and repeat IVF cycles (P = 0.006).ConclusionsAssociation of immune system activation with improved embryo quality concurs with previously reported immune activation in association with normal functional ovarian reserve (FOR) and normal androgen levels, while, counter intuitively, hypoandrogenism and low FOR are associated with lack of immune system activation. Mild immune system activation, therefore, likely appears essential for establishment of pregnancy, and may be regulated by androgens.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© Weghofer et al.; licensee BioMed Central. 2015. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

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