Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare serum müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) levels between white, black, and Hispanic women to determine whether ovarian aging occurs at a different time course for women of different racial groups. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of serum MIS levels in women of different race and ethnicity over two different time points. SETTING: Women's Interagency HIV Study, a multicenter prospective cohort study. PATIENT(S): Serum samples obtained from 809 participants (122 white, 462 black, and 225 Hispanic women). INTERVENTION(S): Comparison of serum MIS between women of different race and ethnicity at two time points (median age 37.5 years and 43.3 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Variation in MIS by race and ethnicity over time, controlling for age, body mass index, HIV status, and smoking. RESULT(S): Compared with white women, average MIS values were lower among black (25.2% lower) and Hispanic (24.6% lower) women, adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking, and HIV status. CONCLUSION(S): There is an independent effect of race and ethnicity on the age-related decline in MIS over time.