AMH in Males: Effects of Body Size and Composition on Serum AMH Levels

Serum concentrations of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) have been found to decrease with increasing body mass index (BMI) in many studies. It is not yet clear whether this stems from an adverse effect of adiposity on AMH production, or from dilution due to the greater blood volume that accompanies a larger body size. To investigate a possible hemodilution effect, we explored the relationships between serum AMH levels and different parameters of body composition using linear regression models in a cohort of adult males. Body weight, lean mass (LM), and body surface area (BSA) were found to be better predictors of AMH than measures of adiposity, such as BMI or fat mass. Since both LM and BSA correlate with plasma volume better than adipose tissue, we conclude that hemodilution of AMH does occur in adult males and should be considered for normalization in future studies.

Automated summary

Serum concentrations of AMH decrease with increasing BMI, possibly due to either an adverse effect of adiposity on AMH production or dilution from greater blood volume. We investigated the relationships between AMH levels and body composition parameters in adult males and found that body weight, lean mass, and body surface area were better predictors of AMH than measures of adiposity. Since both lean mass and body surface area correlate with plasma volume better than adipose tissue, we conclude that hemodilution of AMH does occur in adult males and should be considered for normalization in future studies.