Assessment of Antioxidant Levels in Saliva and Serum among Women with PCOS Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology

Infertility is termed as the inability to conceive after one year of regular, unprotected intercourse. It has been observed that almost 85% of couples facing infertility can identify a specific cause, with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) being one of the most prevalent. Research indicates that infertile women exhibit lower levels of antioxidants in both serum and follicular fluid compared to their fertile counterparts, highlighting the need for further investigation into these biomarkers.

The aim of this study was to examine the levels of salivary and serum antioxidants in participants with PCOS undergoing assisted reproductive technology. The present case-control study involved 80 women divided into two groups: a control group of healthy participants and a PCOS group, with 40 individuals in each group. The researchers measured antioxidant levels in both saliva and serum, specifically focusing on salivary superoxide dismutase (SOD), salivary anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), serum SOD, serum total oxidant status, and serum AMH.

The outcome of the study showed:

• The average age of the participants was 31.6 ± 5.4 years.
• Significant differences in antioxidant levels were observed in both saliva and serum between the PCOS and control groups.
• Notably, the PCOS group exhibited distinct antioxidant levels and elevated serum AMH levels compared to the control group, with all differences being statistically significant.

Thus, the study concluded that salivary antioxidant levels, particularly SOD, may serve as effective biomarker for the diagnosis of PCOS. This method is noninvasive, easily performed by participants, and can be conducted in various settings without the need for specialized equipment.

Source: Gholizadeh N, Koopaie M, Aleyasin A, Milani AM, Aghahosseini M, Kharrazifard MJ, Bahmaee M. The role of salivary antioxidant level in polycystic ovary syndrome women under assisted reproductive technology treatment: A case-control study. Int J Reprod Biomed. 2025 Jan 31;22(12):975-984. doi: 10.18502/ijrm.v22i12.18063. PMID: 39968368; PMCID: PMC11830924.