Impact of Anti-Mullerian Hormone on Fertilization and Embryo Development in Some Patients Accessing IVF Treatment in a Private Fertility Center in Ghana
AMH has universally been accepted to correlate well with ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation, but its effect on IVF outcomes remains undefined. Despite being a good marker of COS, AMH has not been able to predict fertilization rate, embryo development competence, and pregnancy outcomes in IVF programs. We conducted a prospective cohort study at an IVF center in Ghana. A total of 5238 oocytes were retrieved at ovum pick up (OPU) from 418 women, and a total of 4276 mature oocytes (metaphase II) were obtained. Following oocyte evaluation, 962 oocytes were found to be defective and therefore were discarded. Cycle and patient characteristics were expressed as mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables; percentages were used for categorical variables. Mean ± standard deviation was used to evaluate the relationship between serum AMH levels and continuous variables. Results were expressed in percentages. Bar charts, pie diagrams, and linear graphs were plotted to assess the influence of AMH levels on the number of metaphase II oocytes obtained, oocyte dysmorphism, fertilization rates, embryo development (on days 2, 3, and 5), and blastocyst formation (on day 5). This study presents preliminary ovarian biomarker baseline clinical data for ART practitioners on the application of AMH in IVF treatment for Ghanaian women. The clinical application depends on individual centers examining their data, correlating AMH levels and ultimate ovarian response in the form of metaphase II oocytes, fertilization rates, and embryo development. It is recommended that future research or further studies be conducted on a large sample size to define the role of AMH in IVF outcomes.
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