title: Effect of oxidative stress in follicular fluid on the outcome of assisted reproductive procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the follicular fluid from patients undergoing IVF and to examine the association among LPO and TAC and oocyte maturity, embryo quality, fertilization, cleavage, and pregnancy rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients undergoing IVF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clear follicular fluid specimens were collected at oocyte retrieval.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follicular fluid LPO and TAC levels measured by the thiobarbituric acid and the chemiluminescence method, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean LPO level was 0.95 micromol malonaldehyde/L, and the mean TAC level was 819.16 Trolox equivalents. No correlation was seen among LPO or TAC levels and oocyte maturity, fertilization, cleavage, and embryo quality. The pregnancy rate was 31.7%. Pregnant patients were significantly younger than the patients who did not become pregnant (30.53 +/- 3.5 years vs. 34.32 +/- 3.98 years). After adjusting for age, a positive correlation was seen between pregnancy rate and LPO and between pregnancy rate and TAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both LPO and TAC levels were positively correlated with the pregnancy rate. Lipid peroxidation may be a good marker of metabolic activity within the follicle, and some amounts may be necessary to establish a pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Eleonora B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Pasqualotto
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Vicente M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Izzo
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pinotti
authors.forename: Narendra J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Bruce I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001723:Birth Rate; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants