Association between anti-Müllerian hormone levels and polycystic ovary syndrome in a general cohort of young women in Japan

Purpose: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) significantly affects women. This study investigated the association between serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and menstrual cycle disorders, and AMH for PCOS in a general cohort of young Japanese women.

Methods: We measured serum AMH levels in 528 healthy female students at two universities in Japan between 2014 and 2020. We investigated the association between serum AMH levels and hormone levels, menstrual cycle, and body mass index.

Results: The mean (±standard deviation) AMH level was 4.78 ± 2.88 ng/mL. Correlations were observed between serum AMH and luteinizing hormone (LH) or LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in women with irregular menstruation (LH: r = 0.542, p < 0.001; LH/FSH: r = 0.584, p < 0.001). The optimal serum AMH cutoff value that predicted LH ≥7.1 IU/L and LH/FSH ≥1.21 (PCOS diagnostic criteria revised by Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology) in women with menstrual irregularities was 5.30 ng/mL (area under the curve: 0.815, sensitivity: 84.2%, specificity: 70.3%).

Conclusions: Serum AMH can be measured during annual health checkups and may be a useful biomarker for early and arcuate diagnosis and intervention in women with PCOS.