Follicular Immunology Environment and the Influence on In Vitro Fertilization Outcome

The influence of the immune system on ovarian physiology has been extensively studied. A large number of studies evaluated the association between different immunological parameters and follicle development, ovulation, luteinization, oocyte quality and fertilization. Numerous cytokines and lymphocyte subpopulations present in the follicular fluid or the surrounding tissue have been evaluated as possible predictors of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer procedure outcomes. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief summary of the extensive literature dealing with cytokines, lymphocyte subpopulations and immunoglobulins in the follicular fluid and to discuss the possible contribution of cellular and humoral immunity to the reproduction in general.