Activity of Follicular Fluid Phosphatases and Their Correlation with Levels of Serum Esteroidal Hormones and Gonadotropins

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between serum levels of ovarian and gonadotropin hormones, age and number of follicles with follicular alkaline and acid phosphatase activity in infertile women under controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

After collection of follicular fluid and calculation of the number of follicles, the specific activity of alkaline (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) was determined according to the total protein in 19 women at the time of puncture. Also at that time, the levels of progesterone, estradiol, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and leuteinizing hormone (LH) of their sera were measured. The correlation of follicular ALP and ACP with each serum hormone levels, women age and number of follicles was calculated using non-parametric analysis.

The ALP has a correlation with progesterone (P=0.01) levels but doesn’t have any correlation with the other factors. However, the ACP activity has a correlation not only with follicular number but also with estradiol and progesterone levels (P=0.05).

Thus ACP activity is more affected by ovarian hormone than ALP and it can affect the ovarian microenvironment and oocyte development.