Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.

Ovarian processes and the timing of ovulation are important predictors of both female fertility and reproductive pathology. Multiple waves of antral follicular development have been documented during the menstrual cycle in women. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of follicular waves...

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Main Authors: Kathryn B H Clancy, Angela R Baerwald, Roger A Pierson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3661529?pdf=render
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spelling doaj-c9e919e83e8540a3a667e330aa68f2762020-11-25T01:52:49ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0185e6480710.1371/journal.pone.0064807Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.Kathryn B H ClancyAngela R BaerwaldRoger A PiersonOvarian processes and the timing of ovulation are important predictors of both female fertility and reproductive pathology. Multiple waves of antral follicular development have been documented during the menstrual cycle in women. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of follicular waves and their clinical significance are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) and follicular waves in healthy women. We wanted to determine whether follicular wave dynamics influence systemic inflammation, as ovarian activity increases local inflammatory processes and blood flow. We tested the hypothesis that women with 3 follicular waves would have higher CRP concentrations than those with 2 waves. We further hypothesized that a greater number of major waves (those with a dominant follicle) would be positively associated with CRP.Thirty-nine healthy women underwent daily transvaginal ultrasound examinations for one interovulatory interval, as part of an earlier study. Serum was collected every 3 days during the interovulatory interval (IOI). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were conducted to quantify serum CRP concentrations. Women with 3 waves had higher average log CRP concentrations (n = 14, -0.43±0.35) over the IOI than those with 2 waves (n = 25, -0.82±0.47, p = 02). Average log CRP concentrations were greater in women with 3 (0.30±0.31) versus 1 (-0.71±0.55) or 2 (-0.91±0.47) major waves (p = 0.03). Greater average CRP over the IOI was attributed to greater CRP in the follicular, but not the luteal phase, of the IOI.A greater number of total antral follicular waves, in particular major waves, corresponded to greater serum concentrations of CRP. These findings suggest that women with a greater number of follicular waves exhibit greater tissue remodeling and therefore greater local and systemic inflammation.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3661529?pdf=render
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Kathryn B H Clancy
Angela R Baerwald
Roger A Pierson
spellingShingle Kathryn B H Clancy
Angela R Baerwald
Roger A Pierson
Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
PLoS ONE
author_facet Kathryn B H Clancy
Angela R Baerwald
Roger A Pierson
author_sort Kathryn B H Clancy
title Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
title_short Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
title_full Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
title_fullStr Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
title_full_unstemmed Systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
title_sort systemic inflammation is associated with ovarian follicular dynamics during the human menstrual cycle.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS ONE
issn 1932-6203
publishDate 2013-01-01
description Ovarian processes and the timing of ovulation are important predictors of both female fertility and reproductive pathology. Multiple waves of antral follicular development have been documented during the menstrual cycle in women. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of follicular waves and their clinical significance are not fully understood. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) and follicular waves in healthy women. We wanted to determine whether follicular wave dynamics influence systemic inflammation, as ovarian activity increases local inflammatory processes and blood flow. We tested the hypothesis that women with 3 follicular waves would have higher CRP concentrations than those with 2 waves. We further hypothesized that a greater number of major waves (those with a dominant follicle) would be positively associated with CRP.Thirty-nine healthy women underwent daily transvaginal ultrasound examinations for one interovulatory interval, as part of an earlier study. Serum was collected every 3 days during the interovulatory interval (IOI). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were conducted to quantify serum CRP concentrations. Women with 3 waves had higher average log CRP concentrations (n = 14, -0.43±0.35) over the IOI than those with 2 waves (n = 25, -0.82±0.47, p = 02). Average log CRP concentrations were greater in women with 3 (0.30±0.31) versus 1 (-0.71±0.55) or 2 (-0.91±0.47) major waves (p = 0.03). Greater average CRP over the IOI was attributed to greater CRP in the follicular, but not the luteal phase, of the IOI.A greater number of total antral follicular waves, in particular major waves, corresponded to greater serum concentrations of CRP. These findings suggest that women with a greater number of follicular waves exhibit greater tissue remodeling and therefore greater local and systemic inflammation.
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3661529?pdf=render
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