Title Serum VEGF potential as a biomarker for diagnosis of female unexplained infertility: does atopy matter?
Authors Didžiokaitė, Gabija ; Grudytė, Austėja ; Kuznecovaitė, Aida ; Žvirblė, Margarita ; Survila, Žilvinas ; Pašukonienė, Vita ; Kvedarienė, Violeta
DOI 10.3390/ijms26199499
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Is Part of International journal of molecular sciences: Special issue: Molecular insights into reproductive biology and related diseases.. Basel : MDPI. 2025, vol. 26, iss. 19, art. no. 9499, p. [1-17].. ISSN 1661-6596. eISSN 1422-0067
Keywords [eng] unexplained infertility ; female reproductive health ; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) ; biomarker ; allergic sensitization ; atopy ; ALEX2 macroarray
Abstract [eng] Unexplained infertility (UI) remains a diagnostic challenge affecting a significant proportion of women of reproductive age. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key mediator of angiogenesis and inflammation, has been implicated in reproductive and immune processes. This prospective observational study evaluated serum VEGF levels and allergen sensitization (via ALEX2 macroarray) in 70 women—51 with UI and 19 fertile controls—to assess VEGF’s potential as a biomarker in UI. Median VEGF concentrations were higher in women with UI compared to fertile controls (128.6 pg/mL vs. 82.5 pg/mL), though not statistically significantly. However, sensitized women showed significantly elevated VEGF levels compared to non-sensitized peers (115.9 pg/mL vs. 85.7 pg/mL, p = 0.028), and a stepwise increase in VEGF was observed with rising allergy severity (p = 0.045). Sensitization to pet allergens, particularly cat allergen Fel d 1, was associated with the highest VEGF levels. A literature review confirmed wide variability in VEGF concentrations and the lack of standardized norms. While VEGF alone may not serve as a definitive biomarker for infertility, elevated levels may reflect an underlying inflammatory state. Our findings suggest VEGF testing could support broader clinical evaluation in women with UI, especially in the presence of allergic sensitization.
Published Basel : MDPI
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2025
CC license CC license description