The Levels of Serum Periostin on the Day of Frozen-thawed Embryo Transfer Affect the Pregnancy Outcomes

Abstract Background: Periostin is a secretory extracellular protein that has multiple biological roles. It has been confirmed to play a significant role in embryo implantation and development,placental formation. In our study, we aimed to explore whether the levels of serum periostin on the day of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) affected pregnancy outcomes.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study consisting of 286 frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles(FETs). According to pregnancy outcomes, the participants were devided into the pregnant group (n=110) and non-pregnant group (n=176). The concentration of serum periostin was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: In the pregnant group, the level of serum periostin was dramatically higher compared with the non-pregnant group (41.25 ± 25.77 vs. 30.94 ± 18.28 ng/mL; P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the level of serum periostin had a significant effect on the clinical pregnancy (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04). The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of the serum periostin level (AUC 0.61; 95% CI:0.52 ,0.68). Conclusions: In conclusion, the levels of periostin serum on the day of frozen-thawed embryo transfer affected the pregnancy outcomes for patients who underwent frozen thawed embryo transfer.