Serum steroids concentration might be used for monitoring the growth of follicles in friendlyin vitrofertilization

Results: Two hundred and thirty-four samples of follicular fluid from 74 IVF patients were analyzed. In conventional IVF, there was no relationship in steroid levels in between follicular fluid and serum steroids, whereas serum steroid concentrations correlated with the number of developing follicles. There was a relationship between the serum and follicular fluid estradiol levels (r = 0.467, P < 0.0001) as well as progesterone levels (r = 0.227, P = 0.0488) from friendly IVF patients. Conclusions: Serum steroid concentrations were mainly associated with the number of developing follicles. In the cases of friendly IVF, which had a small number of developing follicles, serum steroids might be used to monitor follicular fluid steroid concentrations. (Reprod Med Biol 2006; 5: 277‐282)