Obesity is not a descriptive factor for oxidative stress and viscosity in follicular fluid of in vitro fertilization patients

Abstract

Background: Obesity’s impact on micro-environmental oxidative stress and follicular fluid (FF) viscosity and whether or not it has any effect on in vitro fertilization (IVF) success is a matter of debate. Aims: In this study, our aim was to evaluate the levels of oxidative stress markers and the FF viscosity in obese and non-obese patients. Methods: Eighty norm-responder patients undergoing IVF were prospectively grouped according to their body mass indexes (BMI). Group 1 (n = 40) and group 2 (n = 40) had BMI values of ≤24.9 and ≥25.0, respectively. Total sulfhydryl (RSH) levels (nmol/m) and the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (malondialdehyde, or MDA) (µmol/ml) in FFs were quantified. For the first time in our study, FF viscosity with changing BMI values was also determined. Results: The mean levels of MDA (µmol/ml) and RSH (nmol/ml) were not significantly different between groups (1.37 ± 0.51, 1.51 ± 0.51, p > 0.05 for MDA and 0.42 ± 0.30, 0.41 ± 0.20, p > 0.05 for RSH, respectively). Similarly, the FF viscosity (centipoise) was not different between groups (1.28 ± 0.28, 1.30 ± 0.19, p < 0.05, respectively). Independent of BMI, no correlation was found between FF levels of oxidative markers and the number of oocytes retrieved or the fertilization rates. Conclusions: In our study, we found no difference in the levels of follicular oxidative and anti-oxidative markers or the follicular fluid viscosity with changing BMI values. We also demonstrated that the levels of oxidative stress markers and the viscosity of follicular fluid did not affect clinical outcomes. © 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.