V Greve Hornshøj1, M Dueholm1, L S Mamsen2, E Ernst1, C Y Andersen3. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 82, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark. 2. Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Section 5712, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen N, Denmark. 3. Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Section 5712, The Juliane Marie Centre for Women, Children and Reproduction, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen N, Denmark. yding@rh.dk.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study evaluated the concentrations of hormones resulting from the transplantation of ovarian tissue (OTT) in relation to whether the tissue was frozen at a time close to puberty or above the age of 19 years. METHODS: Six girls and adolescents (aged 9-14 years) who underwent ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) were followed after transplantation in adulthood. After OTT, the women were followed via regular blood samples to evaluate the concentrations of FSH, LH, oestradiol and AMH. Twenty-three women undergoing OTT (aged 19-36 years at the time of OTC) were included as a reference group. All of the women had postmenopausal levels of gonadotropins at the time of transplantation. RESULTS: The return of FSH and LH to normal premenopausal concentrations in adult women transplanted with ovarian tissue that was frozen at a time close to puberty was similar to the profiles in women from the reference group. Serum AMH levels were below the detection limit (via the Roche Elecsys assay) in many samples, but four out of six young girls showed measurable concentrations. Oestradiol similarly increased in the first 12 weeks following transplantation, after which it tended to be higher in women having frozen tissue in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian tissue that was excised from girls at a time close to puberty, after which it was frozen and transplanted in adulthood, interacts with pituitary tissue in a similar manner to ovarian tissue that is frozen from adult women. Follicles located in the ovarian tissue from young girls are equally sensitive to gonadotropin stimulation as follicles from adult women when exposed to postmenopausal levels of gonadotropins. This result indicates that it is not the ovaries that require maturation to sustain full reproductive potential but rather proper FSH and LH stimulation. Moreover, these results support the continued use of OTC in young women.
PURPOSE: This study evaluated the concentrations of hormones resulting from the transplantation of ovarian tissue (OTT) in relation to whether the tissue was frozen at a time close to puberty or above the age of 19 years. METHODS: Six girls and adolescents (aged 9-14 years) who underwent ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) were followed after transplantation in adulthood. After OTT, the women were followed via regular blood samples to evaluate the concentrations of FSH, LH, oestradiol and AMH. Twenty-three women undergoing OTT (aged 19-36 years at the time of OTC) were included as a reference group. All of the women had postmenopausal levels of gonadotropins at the time of transplantation. RESULTS: The return of FSH and LH to normal premenopausal concentrations in adult women transplanted with ovarian tissue that was frozen at a time close to puberty was similar to the profiles in women from the reference group. Serum AMH levels were below the detection limit (via the Roche Elecsys assay) in many samples, but four out of six young girls showed measurable concentrations. Oestradiol similarly increased in the first 12 weeks following transplantation, after which it tended to be higher in women having frozen tissue in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian tissue that was excised from girls at a time close to puberty, after which it was frozen and transplanted in adulthood, interacts with pituitary tissue in a similar manner to ovarian tissue that is frozen from adult women. Follicles located in the ovarian tissue from young girls are equally sensitive to gonadotropin stimulation as follicles from adult women when exposed to postmenopausal levels of gonadotropins. This result indicates that it is not the ovaries that require maturation to sustain full reproductive potential but rather proper FSH and LH stimulation. Moreover, these results support the continued use of OTC in young women.
Authors: R Abir; I Ben-Aharon; R Garor; I Yaniv; S Ash; S M Stemmer; A Ben-Haroush; E Freud; D Kravarusic; O Sapir; B Fisch Journal: Hum Reprod Date: 2016-02-04 Impact factor: 6.918