Tehran University Medical Journal

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Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women and the most common causes of anovulatory infertility.Inadequate follicule stimulating hormone is hypothesized to be a proximate cause of anovulation.Inhibins are glycoprotein hormone produced by the granulosa and theca cells of the ovary that selectivly inhibits FSH production and or release from the pituitary. The possible role of inhibin in the etiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is controversial. This study was designed to investigate levels of serum inhibin in women with PCOS.       

Methods: In a case-control setting 41 women with PCOS from the endocrine and gynecology and obstetrics clinic of Shariati Hospital and 44 women with normal cycles (control group) aged 15-40 year-old were evaluated. In all patients with PCOS and control women appropriate medical history was taken and physical examination was done.Serum inhibin levels were compared in two groups. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann -Whitney U test

Results: Mean age of cases and controls was 23.6±5.3 and 23.1 ±3.9 years, respectively. Mean body mass index (BMI) in cases and controls were 25.07±5.45 and 21.33± 2.46 Kg/m2, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age between the two groups (p > 0.05) but mean BMI was significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.001). Mean serum levels of inhibin in cases and controls were 1.62±1.23 and 2.26±2.26 U/ml, respectively which was not significantly different between the two groups (p: 0.168).

Conclusion: There was no significant difference in serum inhibin levels between patients with PCOS and healthy women. We concluded that basal inhibin levels cannot be used for routine screening in women with PCOS. Further study is needed to determine the role of inhibin in these patients with assay of its two subunits (Inhibin A and B).

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Background: Inhibin is a dimeric glycoprotein that has a depressive effect on the anterior hypophys secretion. The level of this tumor marker is undetectable in menopause women. In patients with gynecological cancer, especially granulosa and epidermal-type (mucinous), ovarian cancers considerable increase in the serum level of inhibin has been reported. The increased level of inhibin has been reported in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Methods: We measured total serum inhibin and CA125 tumor marker level in 38 postmenopausal women with pathologically confirmed ovarian cancer before and after surgery out of 51 suspected women. Our control group were postmenopausal women that attended to our clinic for routine gynecologic check up. Both tumor markers were measured in these patients too. Results: Among 38 women with ovarian cancer, 13(34.2%) had elevated serum levels of total inhibin. Among the 16 women with serous adenocarcinoma, 3 patients (18.8%) had elevated serum levels of inhibin. All the three women with granulosa cell tumor had elevated serum levels of inhibin (100%) and 3 of 4(75%) women with mucinous ovarian cancer had the same result. three out of 38 women in control group had elevated serum levels of inhibin. Among all 38 patients, 6(15.7%) showed tumor recurrence, that all were concomitant with rising of both serum CA125 and Inhibin levels (p=0/001). Conclusions: Serum inhibin level is a usefull tumor marker in granulosa cell and in mucinous tumor of ovary. In this study combined inhibin and CA125 assay showed better results in early detection of ovarian cancer in comparison to either CA125 or inhibin alone