Anti Mullerian hormone as a diagnostic tool for polycystic ovary syndrome in women of reproductive age with morbid obesity

Ibtissem Oueslati; Mohamed Bassem Hammami; Seif Boukriba; Hana Ben Hadj Hassen; Meriem Yazidi; Fatma Chaker; Habiba Mizouni; Moncef Feki; Melika Chihaoui

doi:10.1515/hmbci-2021-0078

Article

Anti Mullerian hormone as a diagnostic tool for polycystic ovary syndrome in women of reproductive age with morbid obesity

Ibtissem Oueslati , Mohamed Bassem Hammami , Seif Boukriba , Hana Ben Hadj Hassen , Meriem Yazidi , Fatma Chaker , Habiba Mizouni , Moncef Feki and Melika Chihaoui

Published/Copyright: May 5, 2022

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From the journal Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation Volume 43 Issue 4

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of the study was to analyze the performance of the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) level for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome in women with morbid obesity.

Study design

A single-centre cross-sectional study was conducted in 50 women of reproductive age with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m². Each patient underwent a clinical examination, biological and hormonal assays, and an ovarian ultrasound between the third and the fifth day of the menstrual cycle. Polycystic ovary syndrome was diagnosed according to the Rotterdam’s criteria.

Results

The mean age of participants was 34.2 ± 7.5 years. Polycystic ovary syndrome was diagnosed in 20 women (40%). Age and anthropometric parameters did not differ between women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome. The mean AMH level was significantly higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (3.4 ± 3.6 vs 1.3 ± 1.2 ng/ml, p=0.010). It was positively correlated with the Ferriman and Gallwey score (r=0.496, p=0.016), total testosterone level (r=0.524, p < 10⁻³) and the LH/FSH ratio (r=0.290, p=0.046). In women aged between 35 and 45 years, the optimum cut-off level for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome was 0.81 ng/mL, providing a sensitivity and a specificity of 90 and 71%, respectively with an area under the ROC curve of 0.857.

Conclusions

AMH level was significantly higher in morbid obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome compared with those without polycystic ovary syndrome. Specific thresholds for this population must be assessed to improve the sensitivity and specificity of AMH for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Keywords: anti mullerian hormone; hyperandrogenism; morbid obesity; ovarian reserve; ovarian ultrasound; polycyclic ovary syndrome

Corresponding author: Dr. Ibtissem Oueslati, Department of endocrinology, Faculty of medicine, La Rabta university hospital, University of Tunis-El Manar, La Rabta Jebbari 1007, Tunis, Tunisia, E-mail: ouesibtissem@gmail.com.

Funding source: La Rabta university hospital

Award Identifier / Grant number: 9

Research funding: This work was sponsored by La Rabta university hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: This study was approved by the hospital ethics committee.

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Received: 2021-09-01

Accepted: 2022-03-25

Published Online: 2022-05-05

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/hmbci-2021-0078

Keywords for this article

anti mullerian hormone; hyperandrogenism; morbid obesity; ovarian reserve; ovarian ultrasound; polycyclic ovary syndrome