Impaired ovarian stimulation during in vitro fertilization in women who are seropositive for hepatitis C virus and seronegative for human immunodeficiency virus.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the impact of seropositivity with hepatitis C virus (HCV) on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes.


METHODS
Retrospective, case-controlled study.


METHODS
Fertility clinic of academic hospital.


METHODS
42 IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles in HCV-seropositive women and 84 matched control cycles.


METHODS
IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment for infertility.


METHODS
Ovarian response to stimulation, laboratory findings, and implantation and pregnancy rates.


RESULTS
Absence of ovarian response was statistically significantly higher for HCV-seropositive women compared with controls (10/42 vs 5/84 cycles, respectively). For cycles with oocyte retrieval, HCV-seropositive women required more gonadotropin units compared with controls. The maximum estradiol levels and number of collected oocytes were similar, but HCV-seropositive women had statistically significantly fewer embryos available compared with controls. Embryo morphologic features, number of transferred embryos, and rates of implantation and pregnancy were similar for HCV-seropositive women and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
When compared with matched uninfected controls, HCV-seropositive women display a decreased ovarian response.
Englert
Yvon
Y
Laboratory for Human Reproduction Research, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. yenglert@ulb.ac.be <yenglert@ulb.ac.be>
Moens
Emmanuelle
E
Vannin
Anne-Sophie
AS
Liesnard
Corinne
C
Emiliani
Serena
S
Delbaere
Anne
A
Devreker
Fabienne
F
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity / Q000502:physiology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*