Thyroid hormone plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of the reproductive system. Alterations in thyroid physiology has been linked to reproductive dysfunctions in women including infertility. Assisted reproduction technology (ART) is widely used as the ultimate approach to treat certain causes of infertility.
The preparation for ART is the called controlled ovarian stimulation, necessary to obtain multiple cumulus oocyte complexes. Some evidence suggests that the strain on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis put by ovarian stimulation protocols used in ART may have an impact on thyroid function and can induce changes in TSH levels due to marked changes in estradiol levels, high E2 levels stimulate TBG levels that leads to a decrease in free thyroid hormone whereas HCG stimulates the gland. It has been suggested that thyroid dysfunction as well as thyroid autoimmunity have an impact on reproductive outcome of ART.
AIM:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of controlled ovarian stimulation on thyroid function in euthyroid women with and without thyroid autoimmunity.