OVARIAN 11-BETA-HYDROXYSTEROID DEHYDROGENASE - POTENTIAL PREDICTOR OFCONCEPTION BY IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYO-TRANSFER

Cortisol is converted to the inactive glucocorticoid, cortisone, in se veral tissues by 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11betaHSD). We h ave recently measured 11betaHSD activity in cultured human granulosa-l utein cells recovered from patients undergoing in-vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). We now report an association between the outcome of IVF-ET and 11betaHSD activity in these cells. Of the 64 pa tients studied, 32 had detectable 11betaHSD activity and none became p regnant; whereas 76% of the remaining ''11betaHSD-negative'' patients achieved pregnancies. Hence 11betaHSD activity may predict the outcome of IVF-ET.