Female Infertility Related to Thyroid Autoimmunity: The Ovarian Follicle Hypothesis.

The article discusses the results of a study that determines if anti-thyroid antibodies are found in the follicular milieu of women who are euthyroid infertile and with thyroid autoimmunity and undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). It also examines the IVF outcome in affected women in terms of negative controls. The method of the study is described, including measurement of the anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroperoxidase levels. The study concludes that anti-thyroid antibodies in ovarian follicles plays a role in female infertility.