Data-driven assessment of the human ovarian reserve

Kelsey, T.W., Anderson, R.A., Wright, P., Nelson, S.M. and Wallace, W.H.B. (2012) Data-driven assessment of the human ovarian reserve. Molecular Human Reproduction, 18(2), pp. 79-87. (doi: 10.1093/molehr/gar059)

Abstract

Human ovarian physiology is still poorly understood, with the factors and mechanisms that control initiation of follicular recruitment and loss remaining particularly unclear. Conventional hypothesis-led studies provide new data, results and insights, but datasets from individual studies are often small, allowing only limited interpretation. Great power is afforded by the aggregation of data from multiple studies into single datasets. In this paper we describe how modern computational analysis of these datasets provides important new insights into ovarian function and has generated hypotheses that are testable in the laboratory. Specifically, we can hypothesise that age is the most important factor for variations in individual ovarian non-growing follicle populations, that anti-Müllerian hormone levels generally rise and fall in childhood years before peaking in the mid-twenties, and that there are strong correlations between anti-Müllerian hormone levels and both non-growing follicle populations and rates of recruitment towards maturation, for age ranges before and after peak anti-Müllerian hormone levels.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Nelson, Professor Scott
• Authors: Kelsey, T.W., Anderson, R.A., Wright, P., Nelson, S.M., and Wallace, W.H.B.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: Molecular Human Reproduction
• ISSN: 1360-9947
• ISSN (Online): 1460-2407
• Published Online: 20 September 2011