TY - JOUR TI - Interleukin 15 concentrations in follicular fluid and their effect on oocyte maturation in subfertile women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection AU - Spanou, S. AU - Kalogiannis, D. AU - Zapanti, E. AU - Gazouli, M. AU - Sfontouris, I.A. AU - Siristatidis, C. AU - Mastorakos, G. JO - Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics PY - 2018 VL - 35 TODO - 6 SP - 1019-1025 PB - Springer New York LLC SN - 1058-0468, 1573-7330 TODO - 10.1007/s10815-018-1170-0 TODO - chorionic gonadotropin; clomifene citrate; gonadorelin antagonist; gonadotropin; interleukin 15; letrozole; recombinant follitropin; IL15 protein, human; interleukin 15, adult; Article; body mass; clinical assessment; clinical evaluation; concentration process; cross-sectional study; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; female; female subfertility; human; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; major clinical study; oocyte; oocyte maturation; oocyte retrieval; outcome assessment; ovary follicle fluid; pregnancy; priority journal; cohort analysis; female infertility; in vitro oocyte maturation; metabolism; middle aged; oocyte development; ovary follicle fluid; ovulation induction; pathophysiology; pregnancy outcome; young adult, Adult; Cohort Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Follicular Fluid; Humans; In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; Infertility, Female; Interleukin-15; Middle Aged; Oogenesis; Ovulation Induction; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; Young Adult TODO - Purpose: To calculate the concentrations of interleukin 15 (IL-15) in follicular fluid (FF) and evaluate their relation with oocyte maturation, follicle size, and patients’ body mass index (BMI) and age. Methods: Follicular fluid specimens were obtained from 56 subfertile women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) during oocyte retrieval for measurement of IL-15 concentrations with ELISA. Wilcoxon’s test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to correlate FF concentrations of IL-15 with follicular size and stage of oocyte maturation, along with patients’ BMI and age. Results: IL-15 concentrations in FF of follicles with immature oocytes were significantly greater than those from follicles with mature ones (median 5.333 vs. 3.250 pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between IL-15 concentrations and follicle size (r = − 0.333, p = 0.003). No significant correlation was observed between IL-15 concentrations and patients’ BMI and age (p > 0.05). Conclusions: IL-15 concentrations in FF are adversely related with the size of the follicles and the maturity of the corresponding retrieved oocytes in a cohort of expected normal responders undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Follicular fluid concentrations of IL-15 should be investigated as a possible predictive factor for oocyte maturity. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. ER -