Anti-Müllerian hormone profiles as a novel biomarker to diagnose granulosa-theca cell tumors in cattle.

This study was carried out to evaluate the blood profile and tissue expression of Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) as a biomarker for granulosa-theca cell tumors (GTCTs) in cattle. Five cases with unilateral ovarian GTCTs (GTCT group) were investigated in comparison to other groups of Japanese Black cows, which had either cystic ovarian disease (COD group, n=5), a functional corpus luteum on Days 9 to 11 of the estrous cycle (Day 0=estrus; CL group, n=13) or received superovulation treatment (SOT group, n=13). We used transrectal ultrasonography and measured plasma AMH, estradiol-17β (E2), progesterone (P4) and testosterone (T) levels. Moreover, GTCT tissues were collected and examined by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) for AMH. In the GTCT group, ultrasound images of GTCTs were variable and not definitive. However, the AMH level in the GTCT group (n=3, 58.1 ± 66.3 ng/ml) was significantly higher than in the COD, CL and SOT groups (0.1 ± 0.1 ng/ml for GTCT vs. COD, Pvs. CL and SOT, P