title: Effect of sperm treatment with exogenous platelet-activating factor on the outcome of intrauterine insemination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of sperm treatment with exogenous platelet-activating factor (PAF) on IUI clinical pregnancy rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective randomized study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Assisted Reproduction Unit, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two couples with unexplained infertility, candidates for IUI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sperm treatment with an exogenous mixture of PAF (final concentration, 10(-7) mol/L) in sperm-washing medium, direct swim-up technique of sperm preparation, a maximum of six IUI cycles per couple with or without PAF treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical pregnancy rate (pregnancies confirmed by ultrasonography per hundred cycles).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall clinical pregnancy rate after a maximum of six IUI cycles was significantly higher when sperm was treated with PAF compared with the rate after the direct swim-up technique (23.07% vs. 7.92%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of sperm with exogenous PAF might improve the clinical outcome of IUI in cases of unexplained infertility.
authors.affiliation: Assisted Reproduction Unit, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Odysseas
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grigoriou
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Makrakis
authors.forename: Socrates
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Konidaris
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hassiakos
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papadias
authors.forename: Stavroula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baka
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Creatsas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007317:Insemination, Artificial, Homologous; D008297:Male; D010972:Platelet Activating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010972:Platelet Activating Factor