Does body mass index affect anti-mullerian hormone levels in girls and adolescents?

Abstract

Objectives: Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) is a dimeric glycoprotein which belongs to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily. In women, it is produced by granulosa cells in pre-antral and small antral follicles. In recent years, there has been a continuous increase in obesity among children and adolescents. There are few studies that present AMH concentrations in premenarcheal and early postmenarcheal girls. The purpose of this work is to assess whether AMH levels were associated with body mass index (BMI) in adolescent girls before and after menarche. Material and methods: The study was performed at the Pediatric Endocrinology Department and Outpatient Clinic at Upper Silesian Child Health Center. 82 girls were enrolled to the study. Results: There were no statistically important differences between AMH levels in menstruating and non-menstruating girls depending on BMI. Conclusions: Body mass index seems not to affect the AMH levels in adolescents, however a special attention must be given when interpreting AMH levels in girls with irregular menstrual cycles and observed for PCOS.