Ovarian reserve in women with cystic fibrosis: is this a cause of sub-fertility?

BACKGROUND

Over the past two decades, increasing number of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) survive into adulthood. Compared to the general population, sub-fertility is an obstacle for many women with CF (wwCF). Decreased ovarian reserve has been proposed as a possible cause, but limited data is available to support this. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ovarian reserve in wwCF and to correlate this with patients' demographic and clinical data.

METHODS

Reproductive-aged wwCF were enrolled during their routine medical appointments. Assessment included Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, routine blood tests and antral follicular count (AFC) evaluation. Additionally, demographic, and clinical information were collected.

RESULTS

A total of wenty-three wwCF were enrolled, with ages ranging from 19 to 40 years (median 27 years). Among the fourteen wwCF who were considering pregnancy, five (35.7%) disclosed undergoing an infertility assessment and receiving fertility treatments. All but one patient had an Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level between the 5th and 95th % for age. Measurement of the antral follicular count (AFC) was possible in 12 of the 23 patients and was ranging 8-40 with a median of 17. The proportion of wwCF presenting below median AMH values was not different in sub-fertile as compared to fertile wwCF (P value 0.54). There were no correlations between AMH levels and disease severity parameters. AMH seemed to be relatively higher in wwCF with mild class mutations, but this was not shown to have statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results, in contrast with the limited available published data, do not support the hypothesis that decreased ovarian reserve plays a major role in infertility in wwCF.