Abstract
BACKGROUND: Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of regular unprotected intercourse. Approximately 85% of infertile couples have an identifiable cause, one of the most common causes of infertility is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The reduction of antioxidant levels in serum and follicular fluid in infertile women compared to healthy women shows the importance of further studying these markers. OBJECTIVE: To study salivary and serum antioxidant levels in PCOS participants under assisted reproductive technology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 80 women in 2 groups including normal participants as control and PCOS groups (n = 40/each). Serum and salivary antioxidant levels such as saliva superoxide dismutase (SOD), saliva anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), serum SOD, serum total oxidant status, and serum AMH were measured. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 31.6 ± 5.4 yr. In both the saliva and serum, antioxidant levels differed significantly between the PCOS and control groups. Key findings showed that the PCOS group had different antioxidant levels and higher serum AMH levels compared to the control group, with all differences being statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our finding underscored that saliva antioxidant levels, especially SOD, are a good marker for PCOS diagnosis. It is noninvasive, can easily be performed by the participants, and can be collected in various settings without specialized equipment.