The Role of Interleukin-18 in Serum and Follicular Fluid during In Vitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

Figure 4

(a) and (b) The effect of gained oocytes on IL-18 levels in serum and follicular fluid (FF). The -axis shows the number of gained oocytes (<6 versus ≥6) and the -axis shows the IL-18 concentration (pg/mL) in serum (a) and in follicular fluid (b). A gain of < 6 oocytes was defined as a weak response (); a gain of ≥ 6 oocytes was defined as a good response (). IL-18 levels in serum (group 1: median 153.47 (75.6) pg/mL, group 2: median 169.21 (95.71) pg/mL) as well as in follicular fluid (group 1: median 117.18 (87.98) pg/mL, group 2: median 155.74 (66.35) pg/mL) increased from group 1 to group 2 (a, b). The correlation between IL-18 levels in serum and the ovarian stimulation response was not statistically significant (), whereas the correlation between IL-18 levels in follicular fluid and the ovarian stimulation response was significant (), according to the Mann–Whitney test.

(a)

(b)