title: Human oocyte cryopreservation: 5-year experience with a sodium-depleted slow freezing method.
abstract: A slow freezing/rapid thawing method for the cryopreservation of human oocytes has been employed using a sodium-depleted culture media. In 53 frozen egg-embryo transfer (FEET) cycles, a 60.4% survival rate post-thaw was obtained and a 62.0% fertilization rate following intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Overall pregnancy rates were 26.4% per thaw attempt, 30.4% per patient, and 32.6% per embryo transfer. Pregnancy rates using sodium-depleted phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as the base medium were 20.0% per thaw, 21.7% per patient, and 26.3% per transfer. With sodium-depleted modified human tubal fluid (mHTF) as the base for the cryopreservation medium, rates were 32.1% per thaw attempt, 39.1% per patient, 37.5% per transfer. The overall implantation rates were 4.2% per thawed oocyte and 13.6% per embryo, (PBS: 3.0% per egg, 10.6% per embryo; mHTF:5.3% per oocyte; 15.9% per embryo). These data indicate that the use of a sodium-depleted media with slow freezing and rapid thawing can yield acceptable pregnancy rates after FEET.
authors.affiliation: Assisted Fertility Services, Community Health Network, Indianapolis, IN, USA. jboldt@ecommunity.com
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boldt
authors.forename: Non
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tidswell
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sayers
authors.forename: Rami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kilani
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cline
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009865:Oocytes; D011247:Pregnancy; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012964:Sodium; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D012964:Sodium