Correlation of serum and follicular fluid concentrations of placental protein 14 and CA-125 in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer patients

Abstract

Objective: To study serum and follicular fluid (FF) concentrations of placental protein 14 (PP14) and CA-125 in patients participating in an IVF-ET program.

Design: Determination in serum and FF on the day of hCG administration, day of oocyte retrieval, and on ET day of PP14 and CA-125.

Setting: Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Athens; Euromedica IVF Unit; and Hellenic Pasteur Institute.

Patients: Thirty-three patients undergoing IVF-ET divided in three groups: 8 with conception, 18 with fertilized oocytes but no conception, and 7 without fertilized oocytes.

Interventions: All patients underwent an ovarian stimulation with a short protocol of GnRH analogue-pure-FSH-hMG. Three blood probes were collected from each patient, on the day of hCG administration, on retrieval day, and on ET day, respectively, whereas FF was collected on retrieval day.

Main outcome measures: Determination in serum and FF of CA-125 and PP14.

Results: On the day of oocyte retrieval, both mean values of serum PP14 and CA-125 were significantly higher in conceptional than nonconceptional cycles. On the day of ET, the mean values of serum PP14 increased significantly in conceptional cycles whereas CA-125 showed no difference. The mean concentration of PP14 in FF was significantly higher in conceptional cycles whereas there was no significant change in the mean concentration of FF CA-125.

Conclusions: In conceptional cycles after IVF, PP14 increases in serum significantly from hCG day to ET day compared with nonconceptional cycles, whereas CA-125 increases from hCG day to oocyte retrieval day and decreases on ET day. In FF, PP14 was increased in conceptional cycles, whereas CA-125 in FF showed no change.