Measuring IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 profiles in women seeking assisted reproduction; relationship to serum growth hormone levels (Study 3)

Extending from our first two studies examining the IGF profile (IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and the ratio of IGFBP-3/ IGF-1) in women presenting for assisted reproductive technologies (ART), this study examines its relevance to the testing of human growth hormone (hGH) levels on the same blood sample. These were taken in the morning during the early follicular phase of the woman’s menstrual cycle and included 408 women who were ART-naive, undertaking the tests as part of an assessment cycle prior to any ART treatment. The growth hormone levels were also tested on a further 945 women classified as ART-interval cases. It was shown that the vast majority of hGH levels (73%) were very low at