Methods employing circulating DNA and miRNA as biomarkers for female infertility
The present invention relates generally to the fields of reproductive medicine. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for determining the ovarian reserve and ovarian function by determining the level of cell-free nucleic acids or the level of a miRNA species selected from miR_30_a or miR_140 or let_7_b or miR_191 or miR_320_a or miR_21 or miR_30_d or miR_574_3p. The method may also be used in predicting the efficacy of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.
1. A method for treating a woman with a controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COS), comprising the steps of:
i) providing from a woman who has received a COS treatment, a follicular fluid sample;
ii) extracting miR-140 from the follicular fluid sample;
iii) quantifying the level of miR-140 in the sample;
iv) identifying the woman as being responsive to COS treatment when the level of miR-140 is increased in comparison to the level of miR-140 in control follicular fluid samples obtained from women with normal ovarian reserve, and
v) continuing to administer the COS treatment to the woman identified as being responsive to COS treatment.