Declining ovarian reserve adversely influences granulosa cell viability

Objective: To identify if declining ovarian reserve adversely influences granulosa cell (GC) parameters in patients undergoing IVF. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Academic IVF Center. Patient(s): Twenty-four women undergoing IVF. Intervention(s): Mural and cumulus GCs were harvested (at time of egg retrieval). Main Outcome Measure(s): Influence of ovarian reserve, reflected by maximal basal FSH levels, on GC (cumulative, mural, and cumulus) counts and viability were investigated. Result(s): The FSH levels demonstrated an inverse correlation with cumulative and mural, but not cumulus, GC viability. Adverse influence of increasing FSH on cumulative GC viability was independent of patient's age. The GC counts were uninfluenced by ovarian reserve status. Neither GC count nor viability demonstrated any relationship with clinical pregnancy after IVF. Conclusion(s): We observed an adverse association between declining ovarian reserve and GC parameters. We believe these findings may partly explain the suboptimal reproductive performance in these women.