No association found between decreased ovarian reserve and low thyroid function.

PURPOSE: To determine if women with diminished egg reserve are more likely to have in addition diminished thyroid reserve compared to women with normal egg reserve.

METHODS

Serum thyroid stimulation hormone levels and history of thyroid hormone replacement therapy was determined according to three ranges of elevated serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in donor egg recipients with diminished egg reserve, and comparisons were made to women having embryo transfers on the same day.

RESULTS

No difference or trends were found of diminished thyroid function in egg recipients vs controls in women aged 39 or under.

CONCLUSIONS

Since autoimmune damage to an endocrine gland is more commonly associated with damage to other endocrine glands because of sharing of common proteins, autoantibody damage to the ovaries does not seem to be a common cause of diminished ovarian egg reserve.