Is there a relation between serum vitamin D and ovarian reserve markers in infertile women?: A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Vitamin D is an essential molecule for reproductive health. There are studies in the literature showing contradictory results regarding te relationship between serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels and ovarian reserve markers. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the relationship between ovarian reserve markers; follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), antral follicle count (AFC), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels. 195 infertil women aged between 18-45 years were included in the study. After the participants were divided into 2 groups according to their 25 (OH) D levels (those with < 20ng/ml (vitamin D deficiency) and those with ≥ 20ng/ml (vitamin D insufficiency)), the age, body mass index (BMI), AFC, AMH, FSH levels of the groups were compared. The mean age of the 25(OH) vitamin D deficient group was significantly younger (p=0.025) than the other group. There was no statistically significant difference in BMI (p=0.47) or season of blood sampling (p=0.62) between groups. The levels of the ovarian reserve markers AFC, AMH, and FSH were not significantly different between groups (p=0.95,0.18,0.86, respectively). Multiple linear regression and logistic regression analysis after adjusting potential confounders showed no significant relationship between vitamin D and AMH (p=0.628) and AFC(p=0.107). In conclusion, we found no correlation between 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations and markers of ovarian reserve. We cannot, however, ignore the critical role of vitamin D in the female reproductivity. To determine the optimal 25(OH)D3 levels during the reproductive period and the amount of vitamin D supplementation required to achieve those levels for the numerous actions of vitamin D throughout reproductivity process, high-quality, large-scale randomized clinical trials are required.

Keywords

• Vitamin D
• infertility
• anti-Müllerian hormone
• antral follicle count

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