International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine · Published 2026-02-14 · DOI 10.18502/ijrm.v23i12.20717
Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that negatively influences oocyte developmental competence. In vitro maturation (IVM) is an approach to reduce complications in the treatment of PCOS-related infertility. The genes regulating oocyte maturation should be investigated to evaluate oocyte quality to enhance IVM efficiency. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) expression in cumulus cells (CCs) of women with PCOS and oocyte development. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 40 oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) and 40 oocytes at metaphase II stages were retrieved from 30 PCOS women. GV oocytes were cultured in IVM medium, and samples were divided into matured and immatured groups. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed, and embryo quality was evaluated. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze TGFB1 and ERK expression levels in CCs of each group. Results: We found that the TGFB1 and ERK expression was significantly lower in CCs of GV compared to metaphase II oocytes. Similar results were observed for CCs of the immatures-group compared to the matured-group. The ERK expression was significantly higher in fertilized oocytes compared to unfertilized ones; however, comparison of TGFB1 expression between these groups was not significant. The expression level of TGFB1 and ERK was higher in high-quality compared to low-quality embryos. Conclusion: The observed associations between TGFB1 and ERK expression and reproductive outcomes highlight their potential as biomarkers for selecting competent oocytes and predicting embryo viability.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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