• Nil Atakul, Berna Sermin Kılıc, Sahabettin Selek, Yıldız Atamer, and Fehmi Unal.
• Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Istanbul Teaching and Research Hospital, 34098, Istanbul, Turkey. nil_atakul@yahoo.com.
• Ir J Med Sci. 2023 Aug 1; 192 (4): 177917841779-1784.

BackgroundKisspeptin has recently emerged as a key regulator of the reproductive axis in women. Kisspeptin, acting centrally via the kisspeptin receptor, stimulates the secretion of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH).AimsTo investigate serum kisspeptin levels in infertility patients for its clinical utilisation in management and understanding of the pathophysiology of infertility in a wide array of patients.MethodsThis prospective case-control study analysis involved 92 primary infertile women with PCOS, diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), unexplained infertility (UEI), and male factor infertility between 20 and 42 years of age. Serum samples were collected between the second and fifth day of the menstrual cycle. The kisspeptin level was determined using a human kisspeptin ELISA kit according to the manufacturer's procedure.ResultsThe median value of serum kisspeptin in the PCOS infertility group was significantly higher than that in the UEI group (p = 0.011). There was a statistically significant (p = 0.015, r =  -0.182) negative weak correlation found between serum kisspeptin levels and age. The optimal cutoff value obtained to differentiate the UEI from others (PCOS infertility + DOR + male factor infertility) according to the serum kisspeptin level was 214.3 ng/L with a sensitivity of 55% and specificity of 80.9%.ConclusionsUnderstanding the role of kisspeptin may lead to its use as a biomarker in infertility diagnosis in UEI patients and might guide the use of kisspeptin analogues in selected patients for infertility management.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland.

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