Follicular fluid cytokine composition and oocyte quality of polycystic ovary syndrome patients with metabolic syndrome undergoing in vitro fertilization

Abstract Purpose To provide insights into the correlation among lipid metabolism, cytokine profiles in the follicular fluid (FF) and embryo quality of women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) with metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods Ninety women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment were recruited, including 60 PCOS patients (PCOS non MS and PCOS MS) and 30 age-matched controls. Individual FF samples were analyzed using the cytometric multiplex immunoassay. Results In the FF, the PCOS MS group was associated with higher, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations compared with that in the control group ( P P  = 0.002), while the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) level in the PCOS MS group (4.18 ± 1.33 ng/mL) was lower compared with the control (5.61 ± 1.82 ng/mL) and PCOS non-MS groups (5.32 ± 1.91 ng/mL) ( P  = 0.004). The FF G-CSF showed a trend toward negative relationship with TG and TC; TNF-α concentration was positively associated with TG. The percentage of top-quality embryo decreased in the PCOS MS group than in the other two groups (20% vs. 38.4% and 34.6%). Conclusions In conclusion, there was an elevated lipolysis condition within the FF of PCOS MS patients and the TNF-α and G-CSF levels in FF were associated with top-quality embryo percentage. TNF-α and G-CSF may be the key cytokines involved in the mechanism of decreased embryo development potential in PCOS MS patients.