Anti-Müllerian Hormone and OPU-ICSI Outcome in the Mare.
Authors: Papas Marion, Govaere Jan, Peere Sofie, Gerits Ilse, Van de Velde Margot, Angel-Velez Daniel, De Coster Tine, Van Soom Ann, Smits Katrien
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Anti-Müllerian Hormone as a Predictor of OPU-ICSI Success in Mares Reproductive technologies such as ovum pick-up and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (OPU-ICSI) are becoming increasingly utilised in equine breeding, yet outcomes vary substantially between individual mares, making it difficult to predict which animals will yield viable embryos. Papas and colleagues investigated whether serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)—a marker of ovarian reserve reflecting the pool of growing follicles—could help stratify these outcomes in 103 mares undergoing commercial OPU-ICSI cycles. Mares with high AMH levels (≥2.5 µg/L) produced significantly more aspirated follicles (22.9 ± 1.2), recovered oocytes (13.5 ± 0.8), and blastocysts (2.1 ± 0.4) per session compared to those with medium (1.5–2.5 µg/L) or low (<1.5 µg/L) AMH, and AMH correlated strongly with follicle and oocyte numbers overall (p < 0.001); however, blastocyst developmental rates remained consistent across groups. Importantly, 58% of mares with low AMH still produced embryos, demonstrating substantial individual variation and limiting AMH's utility as a standalone predictor. For practitioners considering OPU-ICSI referral, elevated AMH suggests improved prospects for obtaining multiple embryos per collection, though low AMH should not preclude treatment as a considerable proportion of such mares will still achieve successful embryo production.
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Practical Takeaways
- •AMH measurement can help identify mares likely to yield multiple oocytes per OPU session, useful for planning breeding programs and setting client expectations
- •Low AMH does not preclude successful embryo production—individual variability is substantial, so mares with borderline AMH should not be excluded from OPU-ICSI consideration
- •AMH should be used as a quantitative predictor of oocyte yield rather than a go/no-go fertility test in equine assisted reproduction
Key Findings
- •AMH levels significantly correlated with number of aspirated follicles and recovered oocytes (p < 0.001)
- •High AMH mares (≥2.5 µg/L) produced 22.9 follicles, 13.5 oocytes, and 2.1 blastocysts per session versus lower AMH groups
- •No significant differences in blastocyst rates between high, medium, and low AMH groups
- •58% of mares with low AMH successfully produced embryos, indicating AMH alone cannot predict OPU-ICSI success