Endometriosis and ART outcome: a retrospective analysis

Background: Endometriosis affects up to 30-40% of women seeking fertility treatment and is known to reduce fecundity. There remains a debate on the effect of endometriosis on the IVF outcome, with live birth not reported in most studies. This study looks at the impact of endometriosis on live birth rates after IVF and compares the chances of success with those without endometriosis.Methods: Retrospective analysis of women who underwent IVF at our institution for 2 years were included. Multiple factor infertility, ovulation disorders and donor program were excluded. The outcomes were compared for 4 cohorts - women with endometriosis, male factor infertility, tubal factor infertility and unexplained infertility. The primary outcome was live birth rate. Other outcome measures were total dose of gonadotropins used, mean number of oocytes collected, M2 oocyte rate, fertilization rate, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate.Results: Patients diagnosed with endometriosis had lower mean number of oocytes collected (6.86 vs 7.69, 7.94, 7.45) and lower mean number of M2 oocytes (5.31 vs 6.21, 6.44, 5.91) but was not statistically significant. Endometriosis patients required significantly higher dose of gonadotropins when compared to controls (5365.79 IU; p-0.001). The per ET implantation rate (10.4% vs 17.8%, 22.5%, 19.2%), clinical pregnancy rate (8% vs 15%, 20%, 17%), live birth rate (7.92% vs 16.6%, 15.14%, 12%) and the cumulative live birth rate (27.9% vs 46.5%, 60%, 46.7%) were significantly less in women with endometriosis (p-0.039, p-0.021, p-0.001, p-0.039 respectively) and the effect is more pronounced with increasing disease severity.Conclusions: Endometriosis affects all aspects of IVF outcomes including folliculogenesis, embryo development and implantation. Though ovarian factor can be overruled by increasing the stimulation doses as in our study, methods to improve the implantation rates should be thought about in future.

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Oocyte Degeneration After ICSI Is Not an Indicator of Live Birth in Young Women

Frontiers in Endocrinology ◽

10.3389/fendo.2021.705733 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaokun Hu ◽

Yuliang Liu ◽

Xiubing Zhang ◽

Pingyin Lee ◽

Yangxing Wen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Embryo Transfer ◽

Live Birth ◽

Young Women ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Implantation Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Oocyte Quality ◽

Clinical Pregnancy ◽

Cumulative Live Birth Rate ◽

Cumulative Live Birth

IntroductionIntracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was introduced in 1990s as one of the most dramatic breakthroughs in assisted reproductive technology. Even with advances in ICSI technology, this mechanical micromanipulation carries a 5 to 19% risk of oocyte degeneration. Whether the presence of oocyte degeneration reflects the sibling oocyte quality and predicts the sibling embryo development potential and clinical pregnancy outcomes remains controversial. There is no study showing the competence of the sibling embryos from the prospective of cumulative live birth rate. Whether oocyte degeneration is associated with poor quality of the remainder of the cohort remains further to be elucidated.MethodThis retrospective observational study included a total of 488 OPU cycles underwent ICSI with fresh cleavage stage embryo transfer and successive frozen/thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles from January 2018 to December 2019. All female patients were under the age of 35 years, and underwent ICSI with or without oocyte degeneration (OD). Cycles with at least one oocyte degenerated were defined as oocyte degeneration group (OD group), and cycles with no oocyte degenerated were defined as non-OD group. The OD group was further divided to three subgroups according to different oocyte degeneration rate (<10%, 10-20%, and >20%).ResultsThere were no significant differences with regards to implantation rate (38.5% vs 35.1%, P=0.302), clinical pregnancy rate (54.9% vs 50.3%, P=0.340), and LBR per OPU cycle (47.0% vs 42.9%, P=0.395) between OD and non-OD groups. Initial gonadotropin dosage, E2 level on hCG day and the number of matured oocytes appeared to be independent risk factors for OD. The adjusted odds ratio of live birth rate per OPU cycle were similar in different oocyte degeneration rate subgroups. The ongoing pregnancy/LBR per transfer in FET cycles was not significantly different between OD group and non-OD groups (38.8% vs 43.9%, P=0.439). The cumulative LBR per OPU cycle was also comparable between OD and non-OD group (63.4% vs 64.8%, P=0.760).ConclusionThe results provide cycle-based evidence that the presence of oocyte degeneration after ICSI is not an indicator for predicting the cumulative live birth rate per OPU cycle in young women.

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Live Birth Rate of Fresh Embryo Transfer with GnRH Agonist Long Protocol is Higher Than Frozen Embryo Transfer

10.21203/rs.3.rs-70853/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaoyan Ding ◽

Jingwei Yang ◽

Lan Li ◽

Na Yang ◽

Ling Lan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Embryo Transfer ◽

Live Birth ◽

Pregnancy Loss ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Implantation Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Clinical Pregnancy ◽

Fresh Embryo Transfer ◽

Long Protocol

Abstract Background: Along with progress in embryo cryopreservation, especially in vitrification has made freeze all strategy more acceptable. Some studies found comparable or higher live birth rate with frozen embryo transfer (FET) than with fresh embryo transfer（ET）in gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol. But there were no reports about live birth rate differences between fresh ET and FET with gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) long protocol. The aim of this study is to analyze whether patients benefit from freeze all strategy in GnRH-a protocol from real-world data.Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, in which women undergoing fresh ET or FET with GnRH-a long protocol at Chongqing Reproductive and Genetics Institute from January 2016 to December 2018 were evaluated. The primary outcome was live birth rate. The secondary outcomes were implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy rate.Results: A total of 7,814 patients met inclusion criteria, implementing 5,216 fresh ET cycles and 2,598 FET cycles, respectively. The demographic characteristics of the patients were significantly different between two groups, except BMI. After controlling for a broad range of potential confounders (including age, infertility duration, BMI, AMH, no. of oocytes retrieved and no. of available embryos), multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there was no significant difference in terms of clinical pregnancy rate, ectopic pregnancy rate and pregnancy loss rate between two groups (all P>0.05). However, the implantation rate and live birth rate of fresh ET group were significantly higher than FET group (P<0.001 and P=0.012, respectively).Conclusion: Compared to FET, fresh ET following GnRH-a long protocol could lead to higher implantation rate and live birth rate in infertile patients underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF). The freeze all strategy should be individualized and made with caution especially with GnRH-a long protocol.

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ICSI does not increase the cumulative live birth rate in non-male factor infertility

Human Reproduction ◽

10.1093/humrep/dey118 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (7) ◽

pp. 1322-1330 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Z Li ◽

A Y Wang ◽

M Bowman ◽

K Hammarberg ◽

C Farquhar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Live Birth ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Male Factor Infertility ◽

Male Factor ◽

Cumulative Live Birth Rate ◽

Cumulative Live Birth

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P–149 Calcium ionophores as an aid to surgically retrieved sperms in male factor infertility for increasing cumulative live birth rate

Human Reproduction ◽

10.1093/humrep/deab130.148 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

A Sahu ◽

S Singh ◽

A C Varghese ◽

R Ashraf ◽

N Majiyd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Live Birth ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Obstructive Azoospermia ◽

Male Factor Infertility ◽

Oocyte Activation ◽

Male Factor ◽

Cumulative Live Birth Rate ◽

Cleavage Rate ◽

Cumulative Live Birth

Abstract Study question Does the addition of calcium ionophores for artificial oocyte activation(AOA) help in improving Cumulative Live Birth Rate in surgically retrieved sperms for male factor infertility? Summary answer AOA significantly improved cumulative live birth rate in Micro-TESE (M-TESE), TESA for non- azoospermia (TESTICULAR) and Non-Obstructive Azoospermia(NOA)-TESA but not in Obstructive Azoospermia (OA)-TESA. What is known already The main cause of Total Fertilization Failure after ICSI is thought to be due to oocyte activation deficiency (OAD) because of oocyte-related or sperm-related factors. Studies have shown that artificial oocyte activation (AOA) is helpful in these situations, but is most effective in couples who have clear sperm-related OAD. Oocyte activation, by Phospholipase- C- Zeta (PLCζ) present in the sperm, leads to series of events resulting in calcium oscillation, oocyte activation and fertilization. AOA increases the free intracellular calcium thereby mimicking physiologic cell signaling mechanisms that result in oocyte activation and fertilization. Study design, size, duration This is a retrospective cohort study done in an academic private ART center, in which patient’s records were analyzed, from January 2016 to December 2019 (total 4 years’ duration) and all ICSI cycles with surgically retrieved sperms were included (n = 365). Study subjects were divided into 4 groups- M-TESE (n = 143), NOA-TESA (n = 38), OA-TESA (n = 62) and TESTICULAR (n = 92). Subdivision was done into cases if AOA was done and control were with conventional ICSI without AOA. Participants/materials, setting, methods Method- Immediately after ICSI, in case group (AOA), all metaphase II oocytes were treated with calcium ionophore (GM508- CultActive) for 15 minutes, then thoroughly washed and incubated under standard conditions. Primary outcome measured was cumulative live birth rate(CLBR) and Secondary outcomes were fertilization rate (Fert. rate), Cleavage rate, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and miscarriage rate (MA). Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-square and Mann-Whitney- U test, with significance at P < 0.05. Institutional committee clearance was obtained. Main results and the role of chance The CLBR was significantly higher with AOA- M-TESE (55.8% vs 33.3%, p- 0.008), AOA-NOA-TESA (55.55% vs 15%, p- 0.027) and AOA-TESTICULAR (62.9% vs 32.3%, p- 0.006) group. Fert. rate was significantly higher with AOA-M-TESE (81 ± 0.84 vs 64 ± 0.97, p- 0.001), AOA-NOA-TESA (86 ± 0.76 vs 64 ± 0.13, p- 0.001) and AOA-TESTICULAR (72 ± 0.12 vs 57 ± 0.11, p- 0.001). Cleavage rate, CPR also showed similar significant differences while MA was comparable. However, significant differences were not observed in any of the outcome measured in OA-TESA group between cases and controls - CBLR (51.6% vs 41.9%, p- 0.611), Fert.rate (0.77±0.14 vs 0.75±0.11, p- 0.539), CPR and MA, p- value > 0.05. It may be hypothesized that surgically retrieved sperms in cases of NOA or non- azoospermia where TESTICULAR sperms are taken have reduced or absent capacity to cause Calcium oscillations due to deficient or inadequate PLCζ or there may be some chromatin level abnormalities in these sperms, leading to lesser fertilization and lesser good quality embryos in control group in which AOA was not done. Limitations, reasons for caution This study is retrospective in nature. Sibling oocytes were not compared. The study neither looked at obstetrics complication nor the neonatal outcomes. Further studies are required for long term impact on children born from AOA cycles. Wider implications of the findings: To our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature evaluating the efficacy of calcium ionophores for NOA (M-TESE, TESA), OA (TESA) and TESTICULAR sperms. Further research is needed for use of calcium ionophores in cases of unexplained infertility and recurrent implantation failure. Trial registration number Not applicable

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P–072 Pregnancy rate in male factor infertility with oligoastheneteratozoospermia - evaluation of Letrozole and Coenzyme Q10 supplementation on sperm parameter

Human Reproduction ◽

10.1093/humrep/deab130.071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

D Se. Sharma

Keyword(s):

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Sperm Motility ◽

Live Birth ◽

Coenzyme Q10 ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Sperm Count ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Clinical Pregnancy ◽

Clinical Pregnancy Rate ◽

Male Factor

Abstract Study question Male infertility due to idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia- Does combining Letrozole as antiestrogenic with Coenzyme Q10 as antioxidant give better pregnancy rate ? Summary answer Combination of Co enzyme Q10 with Letrozole can significantly improve semen parameters and outcome of clinical pregnancy rate in idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermic patients. What is known already Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS) are a major cause of idiopathic male factor infertility which results in sperm membrane lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and apoptosis leading to decrease sperm viability and motility. Antioxidant like Coenzyme Q10 have been used empiricallyin the treatment of oligoasthenozoospermia based on its ability to reverse oxidative stress and sperm dysfunction. Aromatase inhibitor like Letrozolehave been used in idiopathic male infertility by reducing estrogenic effect on spermatogenesis and reducing feedback inhibition of hypothalamopituatarygonadal axis. Thus a therapeutic strategy would need to use supplements to increase sperm energy metabilism, minimise free radical damage. Study design, size, duration Study design: prospective comperative clinical study Primary purpose: treatmenr Size: 60 infertile male attending OPD of SHRISTI HEALTHCARE diagnosed as idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia Duration: from March2018 to February 2020 Primary outcome: improvement in sperm count, motility and morphology after treatment Secondary outcome: clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. Participants/materials, setting, methods Exclusion criteria: Smoker, drug and alcohol abuse, medical treatment with gonadotropin and steroids, varicocele.60 patients were randomisedinto 3 groups. Gr A(N = 20) received Letrozole 2.5mg/day + Co enzyme Q10 300mg/day for 3 months, Gr B(N = 20) received Letrozole 2.5mg/day for 3 months, and Gr C(N = 20) received Coenzyme Q10 300mg/day for 3 months. History taking, general examination, semen analysis, sr.FSH,LH, Testesteron, E2 and scrotal duplex were done for all patients. Main results and the role of chance After treatment, Gr A as compared to Gr B and C showed significant imprivement in all 3 parameters of semen eg sperm count( 3.15±3.38 - 20.9±2.11, p < 0.001), sperm motility( 5.25±3.25 - 42.85±3.30, p < 0.001), sperm morphology( 2.26±7.81 - 25.89±7.05, p < 0.001). Improvement in sperm count and morphology was seen in Gr B(Letrozole gr) but not in sperm motility whereas Gr C ( Co enzyme Q10 gr)showed significant improvement in sperm motility and morphology but not in sperm count. 10 pregnancies occured during follow up period of 1 yr. Clinical pregnancy rate was 30%in Gr A(6/20), 5% in Gr B(1/20), AND 15% in Gr C( 3/20). Live birth rate was 83% in Gr A(5/6), 33.3% inGr C(1/3) whereas sponteneous abortion occured in Gr B pregnancy. Limitations, reasons for caution Limitation of my study was the small sample sizewhich could have some bias in outcome. I did not evaluate DNA fragmentation and level of ROS. Latest evidences report that evaluating ROS can be a diagnostic tool in predictingthe best responder to supplementation. Wider implications of the findings: Majority of studies had investigated the effect of antioxidant and aromatase inhibitor on semen parameter but few concluded their effect on live birth rate. Assisted reproductive techniques are expensive and not universally available, so any pharmacological agent with satisfactory effectiveness should be considered as 1st line treatment of oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Trial registration number Not applicable

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Anti-Müllerian hormone is correlated with cumulative live birth in minimal ovarian stimulation with clomiphene citrate: a retrospective cohort study

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ◽

10.1186/s12884-020-03446-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kenji Ezoe ◽

Xiaowen Ni ◽

Tamotsu Kobayashi ◽

Keiichi Kato

Keyword(s):

Live Birth ◽

Ovarian Stimulation ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Clomiphene Citrate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Fertility Treatment ◽

Cumulative Live Birth Rate ◽

Ivf Outcomes ◽

Cumulative Live Birth ◽

Minimal Ovarian Stimulation

Abstract Background Several studies have investigated the correlation between the serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in controlled ovarian stimulation cycles; however, studies regarding the correlation of the serum AMH level with IVF outcomes in minimal ovarian stimulation cycles remain limited. In this study, we aimed to analyze the correlation of the serum AMH level with ovarian responsiveness, embryonic outcomes, and cumulative live birth rates in clomiphene citrate (CC)-based minimal ovarian stimulation cycles. Methods Clinical records of 689 women whose entire ovarian stimulation regimen consisted solely of minimal stimulation cycle IVF using CC alone from November 2017 to October 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The association between IVF outcomes and the serum AMH level before the initiation of the first fertility treatment was analyzed. Furthermore, the correlation of the serum AMH level with cumulative live birth rates after IVF treatment was assessed. The Cochran-Armitage test, Pearson’s chi-squared test, Spearman rank correlation test, Student’s t-test, one-way analysis of variance, logistic regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the data. Results The serum AMH level positively correlated with the number of retrieved oocytes, blastocyst formation rate, blastocyst cryopreservation rate, and live birth rate per oocyte retrieval in CC-based minimal ovarian stimulation cycles without any exogenous gonadotropin administration. Furthermore, the cumulative live birth rate and treatment period required for conceiving were strongly associated with the serum AMH level at the initiation of fertility treatment. Conclusions A low serum AMH level correlated with low ovarian responsiveness, impaired pre-implantation embryonic development, and decreased cumulative live birth rate in CC-based minimal ovarian stimulation cycles. Therefore, the cycle success rate would be predicted by measuring the serum AMH level in minimal ovarian stimulation with CC alone.

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Randomized Controlled Study of the Effects of DHEA on the Outcome of IVF in Endometriosis

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2021/3569697 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Yanxia Zhang ◽

Meiqing Li ◽

Lian Li ◽

Jianghua Xiao ◽

Zhe Chen

Keyword(s):

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Live Birth ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Implantation Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Clinical Pregnancy ◽

Clinical Pregnancy Rate ◽

Synthesis Process ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Control Group

Objective. To investigate the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in patients with endometriosis (EMT). Methods. Female patients diagnosed with EMT in our hospital from May 2018 to May 2019 were selected. The patients were divided into the control group (n = 22) and the DHEA group (n = 22) according to the random number table. Patients in the control group received placebo and patients in the DHEA group received DHEA. Patients in both groups received either DHEA (25 mg) or placebo orally 3 times a day for 90 days from the first day of menstruation. Patients were subsequently treated with an IVF cycle. In the control group, 22 patients completed the first cycle and 13 patients completed the second cycle. In the DHEA group, 22 patients completed the first cycle and 11 patients completed the second cycle. Serum sex hormone levels including serum E2 on hCG day, mean progesterone on hCG day, FSH on day 2, AMH on day 2, and gonadotropin dose were determined using a chemiluminescent immunoassay kit. The number of antral follicles of the bilateral ovaries was counted by transvaginal B-ultrasound, and the maximum length and transverse diameter of the ovaries were measured at the same time, to calculate the average diameter of the ovaries, observe the morphology of endometrium, and measure the thickness of the endometrium. The implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, persistent pregnancy rate, and live birth rate were compared between the two groups. Results. There were no significant differences in serum E2, progesterone, endometrial thickness, recovered oocytes, mean number of transferred embryos, and mean score of leading embryo transfer between the DHEA group and the women who completed the first and second cycles ( P > 0.05 ). The AMH, antral follicle count, serum E2 on hCG day, the number of recovered oocytes, fertilized oocytes, and the fertilization rate in the DHEA group were higher than those in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The doses of FSH on day 2, COH on day 3, and gonadotropin were lower than those in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). There was no significant difference in the total number of embryos, the number of high-quality embryos, and the number of transplanted embryos between the two groups ( P > 0.05 ). The implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, persistent pregnancy rate, and live birth rate in the DHEA group were higher than those in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. DHEA can significantly increase serum E2 level and improve IVF outcome by regulating the hormone synthesis process, thus improving oocyte and embryo quality.

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Comparison of pregnancy outcomes using a time-lapse monitoring system for embryo incubation versus a conventional incubator in in vitro fertilization: an age-stratification analysis

Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine ◽

10.5653/cerm.2020.04091 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pattraporn Chera-aree ◽

Isarin Thanaboonyawat ◽

Benjawan Thokha ◽

Pitak Laokirkkiat

Keyword(s):

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Live Birth ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Age Groups ◽

Implantation Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Clinical Pregnancy ◽

Clinical Pregnancy Rate ◽

Vitro Fertilization

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer between embryos cultured in a time-lapse monitoring system (TLS) and those cultured in a conventional incubator (CI).Methods: The medical records of 250 fertilized embryos from 141 patients undergoing infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technology at a tertiary hospital from June 2018 to May 2020 were reviewed. The study population was divided into TLS and CI groups at a 1 to 1 ratio (125 embryos per group). The primary outcome was the live birth rate. Results: The TLS group had a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (46.4% vs. 27.2%, p=0.002), implantation rate (27.1% vs. 12.0%, p=0.004), and live birth rate (32% vs. 18.4%, p=0.013) than the CI group. Furthermore, subgroup analyses of the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the different age groups favored the TLS group. However, this difference only reached statistical significance in the live birth rate in women aged over 40 years and the clinical pregnancy rate in women aged 35–40 years (p=0.048 and p=0.031, respectively). The miscarriage rate, cleavage rate, and blastocyst rate were comparable.Conclusion: TLS application improved the live birth rate, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate, particularly in the advanced age group in this study, while the other reproductive outcomes were comparable. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to further explore the ramifications of these findings, especially in different age groups.

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Effects of fifth day (D5) or sixth day (D6) frozen–thawed blastocysts on neonatal outcomes

Zygote ◽

10.1017/s0967199415000696 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 24 (5) ◽

pp. 684-691 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Xue Wang ◽

Jingran Zhen ◽

Zhengyi Sun ◽

Qi Yu ◽

Chengyan Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Sex Ratio ◽

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Live Birth ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Implantation Rate ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Clinical Pregnancy ◽

Neonatal Outcomes ◽

The Difference

SummaryThis study aimed to compare the neonatal outcomes of transplanted fifth day (D5) or sixth day (D6) frozen–thawed blastocysts, aiming to provide guidance when choosing blastocyst recovery methods. The clinical data of 1109 patients that were performed for recovered blastocyst transplantation, as well as the data of 515 patients who had already delivered were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into single- or twins-birth groups according to blastocyst formation time (D5 or D6) and the number of fetus(es). The implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of the D5 group were all significantly higher than those in the D6 group (P < 0.05), and the biochemical pregnancy rate in the D5 group was significantly lower than that in the D6 group (P = 0.049). Other factors, including birth weight, birth length, incidence of low birth weight and sex ratio, differed between the D5 and D6 groups, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the D5 group were all significantly higher than that in the D6 group. The birth weight at D6 was prone to be heavier no matter the birth group, and the sex ratio in the D5 group was higher than that at D6, the difference in neonatal outcomes between the two groups was not statistically significant.

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More Live Births in Primary Subfertile Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-Treated Women with High Normal TSH Levels

Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation ◽

10.1159/000518083 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 86 (4) ◽

pp. 398-407

Author(s):

Constance Repelaer van Driel-Delprat ◽

Eveline van Dam ◽

Peter van de Ven ◽

Khadija Aissa ◽

Melanie ter Haar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Live Birth ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Birth Rate ◽

Thyroid Autoimmunity ◽

Live Birth Rate ◽

Ongoing Pregnancy ◽

Male Factor ◽

Cumulative Live Birth Rate ◽

Cumulative Live Birth ◽

Tsh Levels

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the fertility outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-treated women across normal range thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Published results are inconclusive about optimal TSH levels and fertility. Design: This is a retrospective cohort study in 752 ICSI-treated women with predominantly severe male factor subfertility, starting treatment between the first of January 2008 and the first of March 2012 with a follow-up until 2014. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: Women aged 22–45 years with TSH 0.3–4.5 mIU/L without thyroid hormone substitution were included in Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, an iodine-sufficient area. Demographic and baseline characteristics were compared between groups of patients based on TSH, using one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, and χ2 test. The patient was the unit of analysis: all cumulative cycles per patient were analyzed up to and including the first ongoing pregnancy. The primary outcome was a cumulative live birth rate. Clinical pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss, and ongoing pregnancy rate were secondary outcomes. The χ2 test and logistic regression were used to compare interquartile groups while adjusting for confounders. Logistic regression was used with the natural logarithm of TSH as a continuous predictor. Primary and secondary subfertile women were analyzed separately. Results: Analysis of the total cohort (n = 752) showed no difference in fertility outcomes across the normal TSH range. The cumulative live birth rate for the 4 groups of primary subfertile women (n = 455) was 76% in the upper TSH quartile compared to 56%, 60%, and 59% in the lower TSH quartiles. Limitations: Levels of thyroxine and presence of thyroid autoimmunity were not measured in this retrospective cohort study. Conclusions: The observation that a higher live birth rate was found in primary subfertile ICSI-treated women with high but allegedly normal TSH levels contributes to the hypothesis that in certain subfertile women in addition to a male factor, female factors such as subtle hypothyroidism and/or thyroid autoimmunity may play a role in keeping them from conception, which can be overcome by the process of ICSI.

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