Is higher antral follicle count (AFC) in healthy young women associated with higher oocyte developmental competence?

Retrospective study of 1985 first oocyte donation cycles, corresponding to 3210 fresh embryo transfers in oocyte recipients, conducted between January 2010 and May 2014.

Donors with higher AFC who underwent ovarian stimulation, produced both more cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) (B coefficient = 0.47, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.53;P≤ 0.001) and MII oocytes (B coefficient = 0.36, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.41;P≤ 0.001) at linear regression analysis. Donors with low AFC had a higher risk of cancellation (OR 4.79, 95% CI 2.99 to 7.69;P< 0.001) or obtaining fewer than four metaphase II (MII) at ovum retrieval (OR 3.87, 95% CI 2.38 to 6.27;P< 0.001). No association was found between AFC and biochemical (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.36), clinical (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.28), ongoing pregnancy (OR 1.00, 95%, CI 0.82 to 1.21) or live birth rates (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.19), when at least four MII were obtained at ovum retrieval.

AFC does not relate to the developmental competence of oocytes in women younger than 35 years.