ArticleJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2014
Urine cortisol concentration as a biomarker of stress is unrelated to IVF outcomes in women and men.
Article in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Lead exposure, glucocorticoids, and physiological stress across the life course: A systematic review.Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) · 2024Pooled it
- Male Stress Is Associated with Ovarian and Endometrial Responses in ICSI Cycles: Is Seminal Plasma the Linchpin?International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Electrochemical Biosensors by Means of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) Cortisol Recognition.Polymers · 2025Article
- Impact of psychological stress on ovarian function: Insights, mechanisms and intervention strategies (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2025Review
- Fur Cortisol in French Bulldogs with Different Manifestations of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Article
- Application of Salivary Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Melatonin Protects Rabbit Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) Embryos from Electrofusion Damage.Scientific reports · 2020Article
- Quantitative profiling of cortisol metabolites in human urine by high-resolution accurate-mass MS.Bioanalysis · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeOur primary objective was to assess associations between urine cortisol as a biomarker of psychological stress and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. A secondary objective was to assess associations between toxic metals and cortisol.
methodsUrine and blood specimens were collected from 52 women and 28 male partners completing a first IVF procedure, on the day of oocyte retrieval. Urine cortisol was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were determined in blood and Cd in urine by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.
resultsNo associations were indicated for cortisol with IVF outcomes in multivariable regression models adjusted for covariates. However, we detected positive linear associations for cortisol and urine Cd (β = 9.96, 95%CI 1.52, 21.44) and blood Hg (β = 1.44, 95%CI 0.31, 3.18). An exploratory stratified analysis suggested a potential inverse association between urine cortisol and oocyte fertilization among women with low, but not high blood Hg.
conclusionWhile limited, these preliminary data suggest that psychological stress may not play a major role in IVF outcomes, which therefore could be one less concern for couples and their clinicians. Our data also raise the possibility for toxic metals to modify associations between cortisol and IVF outcomes among women. However, these preliminary results require corroboration in an experimental animal model and confirmation in a larger, more definitive observational study.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.