Matrix metalloproteinases in serum and the follicular fluid of women treated by in vitro fertilization.

PURPOSE: To assess levels of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in follicular fluids and sera of female patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, and discover the role of MMPs in IVF outcome prediction.

METHODS

Sera and follicular fluids were obtained from 58 female patients treated for infertility by IVF. Twenty-nine of them became pregnant after the embryo-transfer; another 29 were not successful in IVF and did not conceive. Forty female non-pregnant blood donors and 38 healthy pregnant patients in the first trimester after the physiological conception were examined as control groups. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were quantitively assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

IVF females successfully conceiving after the IVF have shown the highest MMP-9 concentrations in sera (833.5 {686.0;958.7} ng/mL) and follicular fluids (9.6 {6.0; 17.0} ng/mL) compared to all other examined cohorts. Different behavior of MMP-2 and MMP-9 during the artificial ovulation was confirmed, because only MMP-9 has shown a vast difference between serum and follicular concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

MMP-9 could be a good predictor of the successful IVF outcome (pregnancy), which was proven for serum as well as follicular MMP-9 levels.