Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have highlighted the role of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in numerous ovarian disorders. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the major causes of infertility in Egypt. Several reports have linked PCOS with vitamin D deficiency. This investigation illustrates the possibility of using serum AMH for PCOS diagnosis in infertile Egyptian females, determines the variables affecting it and correlates it with serum 25(OH)D, testosterone, dyslipidemia and anthropometric parameters. METHODS: All parameters were assessed either with ELISA or colorimetrically in 53 infertile PCOS women and 17 age matched apparently healthy controls diagnosed according to Rotterdam consensus. RESULTS: Serum AMH, total testosterone, triacylglycerol (TG) levels and BMI were significantly higher in PCOS group compared to healthy controls (p=0.0239, p=0.0381, p=0.0457, and p=0.0067, respectively), while serum 25(OH)D levels and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) were significantly lower (p=0.0397 and p=0.0443, respectively). No significant correlation existed between AMH and 25(OH) D, BMI and dyslipidemia markers. AMH was found to have a significant negative correlation with age and a highly significant positive one with total testosterone in PCOS group (r=-0.303, p=0.027 and r=0.370, p=0.008, respectively). In the receiver operating characteristic curve of AMH, the cut-off value was 42.63 pmol/L with a specificity of 59% and a sensitivity of 82%. Multivariate regression analysis showed total testosterone to be the only determinant for AMH (β=0.381 and p=0.038). CONCLUSIONS: There should be a future trend of using AMH as a diagnostic marker for PCOS in Egyptian females. The variation in serum AMH levels is determined by total testosterone.