Follicular cytokine profiles and granulosa cell integrity across ovarian response during in vitro fertilisation

IF 3.1 4区生物学 Q1 ANATOMY & MORPHOLOGY

Tissue & cell Pub Date : 2026-06-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-05 DOI:10.1016/j.tice.2026.103370

Oya Korkmaz , Seda Karabulut , Pelin Macit

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Ovarian response to controlled ovarian stimulation varies considerably among women and may be influenced by inflammatory activity within the follicular microenvironment.

Objective

To examine the relationship between ovarian response and follicular inflammatory activity by evaluating IL-1β, IL-17, and IL-18 levels, granulosa cell expression, and markers of chromatin integrity and apoptosis in IVF cycles.

Methods

A total of 150 women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation were grouped as low, normal, or high ovarian response (n = 50 each). Follicular fluid cytokine levels were measured by ELISA/CLIA, granulosa cell cytokine expression was assessed immunohistochemically, and chromatin integrity and DNA fragmentation were evaluated using Toluidine Blue and TUNEL assays.

Results

Follicular fluid levels and granulosa cell immunopositivity of IL-1β, IL-17, and IL-18 increased progressively from low to high ovarian response groups (p < 0.05). Chromatin integrity was best preserved in the normal responder group, whereas both Toluidine Blue–positive and TUNEL-positive granulosa cell ratios were significantly higher in low and high responders (p < 0.01). IL-18 levels showed positive correlations with oocyte number, serum estradiol levels, and MII oocyte ratio (p < 0.05). Notably, granulosa cell IL-18 expression was inversely correlated with DNA fragmentation, suggesting a potential cytoprotective role under physiological inflammatory conditions.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that follicular cytokine balance is closely associated with ovarian response and granulosa cell integrity during IVF. IL-18 emerges as a key regulator linking physiological inflammation to oocyte competence, highlighting its potential relevance for individualized ovarian stimulation strategies.

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卵泡细胞因子谱和颗粒细胞完整性在体外受精过程中跨越卵巢反应。

背景：卵巢对受控卵巢刺激的反应在女性中差异很大，可能受到卵泡微环境中炎症活动的影响。目的：通过评估体外受精周期中IL-1β、IL-17和IL-18水平、颗粒细胞表达、染色质完整性和凋亡标志物，探讨卵巢反应与卵泡炎症活性的关系。方法：总共150名接受卵巢控制刺激的妇女被分为卵巢反应低、正常和高3组（n = 各50名）。采用ELISA/CLIA法检测卵泡液细胞因子水平，免疫组织化学法检测颗粒细胞细胞因子表达，甲苯胺蓝法和TUNEL法检测染色质完整性和DNA片段化。结果：卵泡液中IL-1β、IL-17和IL-18免疫阳性水平从卵巢低反应组到高反应组逐渐升高（p ）结论：卵泡细胞因子平衡与体外受精过程中卵巢反应和颗粒细胞完整性密切相关。IL-18是连接生理炎症与卵母细胞能力的关键调节因子，突出了其与个体化卵巢刺激策略的潜在相关性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Tissue & cell 医学-解剖学与形态学

CiteScore

3.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

234

期刊介绍： Tissue and Cell is devoted to original research on the organization of cells, subcellular and extracellular components at all levels, including the grouping and interrelations of cells in tissues and organs. The journal encourages submission of ultrastructural studies that provide novel insights into structure, function and physiology of cells and tissues, in health and disease. Bioengineering and stem cells studies focused on the description of morphological and/or histological data are also welcomed. Studies investigating the effect of compounds and/or substances on structure of cells and tissues are generally outside the scope of this journal. For consideration, studies should contain a clear rationale on the use of (a) given substance(s), have a compelling morphological and structural focus and present novel incremental findings from previous literature.