Can Total Antioxidant Capacity Predict Clomiphene Citrate Resistance in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients?

Aim: Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress may be associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as infertility and that antioxidant treatments can increase fertility rates. Therefore, I aimed to investigate whether total antioxidant levels were useful in predicting clomiphene citrate (CC) resistance in infertile polycystic ovary syndrome patients.
Materials and metods: seventy seven (77) participants (45 sensitive and 32 resistant) with polycystic ovary syndrome who met the study criteria, were between the ages of 20-35 years and whose partners’ spermiograms were normal volunteered. Clomiphene citrate was given to all patients up to three cycles between three and seven days of their menstrual cycle, starting with a 50mg/daily dose. İf ovulation did not the provided dose was raised to 100 and 150 mg in subsequent cycles. Plasma Total antioxidant status (TAS) was determined using an automated measurement method. The CC sensitive group was compared with the CC resistant group in terms of total antioxidant levels.
Results: Mean plasma total antioxidant levels were 1.21±0.42 and 2.4±0.49 mmolTrolEq/L in the CC resistant and sensitive groups, respectively (p=0.001). In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis while total antioxidant status value was ≤1.66 mmolTrolox equivalent/L had predictability on resistance development with 93.75% sensitivity and 86.67% specificity.
Conclusion: İnfertile polycystic ovary syndrome patients who were resistant to CC treatment had lower total antioxidant levels. Therefore, total antioxidant levels could be a useful marker in establishing CC resistance.