C-Reactive protein in relation to fecundability and anovulation among eumenorrheic women.

OBJECTIVE: To assess systemic inflammation in relation to fecundability and anovulation.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study among participants in the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction trial who were assigned to the placebo.

SETTING: Academic medical centers.

PATIENT(S): Healthy eumenorrheic women (n = 572), 18-40 years of age, with one or two pregnancy losses, attempting spontaneous pregnancy.

INTERVENTION(S): Baseline serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) values <10 mg/L were categorized into tertiles.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Discrete Cox proportional hazards models estimated the fecundability odds ratio (FOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) and adjusted for potential confounders. Log-binomial regression estimated the risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI of anovulation. The algorithm to define anovulation used data on urinary concentrations of hCG, pregnanediol-3-glucuronide, and LH as well as fertility monitor readings.

RESULT(S): Higher hsCRP was associated with reduced fecundability but not with an increased risk of anovulation.

CONCLUSION(S): Among healthy women attempting pregnancy after one or two pregnancy losses, we found preliminary evidence that systemic inflammation is associated with reduced fecundability, but not independently from adiposity. Sporadic anovulation did not appear to drive this association.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00467363.