Embryo Quality May Be Associated With Serum Inhibin B Levels but Not With Serum or Follicular Fluid Levels of Other Components of the Activin-Follistatin-Inhibin Axis.

Objective: We investigated the potential associations of embryo quality with serum and/or follicular fluid (FF) concentrations of the molecules of the activin-follistatin-inhibin (AFI) axis and antimüllerian hormone and aimed to identify molecules that could predict a positive assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcome.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we measured AFI hormone and antimüllerian hormone levels in the serum and FF of follicles (n = 101) obtained from healthy oocyte donors who underwent an assisted reproductive technology course (n = 32). After egg retrieval, embryos were characterized as good or bad quality according to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology criteria. Women were divided into 3 groups (<50%; 50%-66.7%; and >66.7%) according to the percentage of good quality embryos obtained.

Results: There was no difference between good and bad quality embryos in any of the molecules measured in FF. Moreover, there was no difference in the parameters measured in the serum among women according to the percentage of good quality embryos (ie, suitable for transfer or freezing) except for inhibin B, which tended to increase along with a good quality embryo rate (55.6 ± 7.9 vs 95.3 ± 14.3 vs 113.9 ± 36.9; P = .045).

Conclusions: Among the molecules of the AFI axis, only serum but not FF inhibin B levels were marginally associated with good quality embryo rates.