The effect of vitamin D status on ovarian reserve markers in infertile women: A prospective cross-sectional study

Background: Vitamin D deficiency and infertility are two important health problems in Iran. Some studies suggest that vitamin D may influence Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) as an ovarian reserve.
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of vitamin D on AMH serum concentrations/AFC.
Materials and Methods: Three hundred and five infertile women referred to the IVF Unit of Yas hospital, between July and December 2017, were enrolled in this crosssectional study. The demographic characteristics of the participants, as well as the serum levels of vitamin D, AMH, and ultrasonic examination of AFC were recorded.
Results: Finally, 287 infertile women were included in the analysis with a mean age of 29.95 ± 4.73 yr (18-45 yr) and a mean Body mass indexof 25.11 ± 4.41 kg/m². The median AMH and vitamin D levels were 3.20 and 22.82 ng/ml, respectively. Considering the cut-off level of 20 ng/ml, 58.7% were vitamin D deficient. Regression analysis showed no association between AMH and vitamin D levels (p = 0.161), even after adjusting for baseline variables (p = 0.182). A total of 120 patients had an AFC < 6 and 164 ≥ 6, which was not statistically different between the groups with normal level or deficient vitamin D (p = 0.133).
Conclusion: The present cross-sectional study showed no significant association between serum levels of vitamin D and AMH or AFC in infertile women, even after adjusting for baseline variables.

Keywords
Anti-Müllerian hormone; Infertility; Vitamin D deficiency; Ovarian follicle.