Relationship of reactive oxygen species levels in day 3 culture media to the outcome of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship of early human embryonic development parameters to day 3 reactive oxygen species (D-3 ROS) levels in culture media.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
Tertiary care hospital.


METHODS
Patients were undergoing IVF (n=92; 36 with intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]).


METHODS
The D-3 ROS levels in sample and control of each embryo culture dish were measured by the chemiluminescence method using a luminol probe.


METHODS
Embryo quality (days 3 and 5) and pregnancy rates (PR).


RESULTS
The D-3 ROS level was significantly lower in pregnant cycles 26.8±13.9×10(6) cpm (counted photon per minute) versus nonpregnant cycles 66.4±39.4×10(6) cpm. This relationship was maintained when the cycles were stratified to conventional IVF (27.1±14.95 vs. 67.0±39.9×10(6) cpm) or ICSI (25.6±12.75 vs. 65.5±39.7×10(6) cpm). After controlling for all variables, D-3 ROS levels were negatively correlated with blastocyst development rate as well as PR. Odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of clinical pregnancy corresponding to a 10×10(6) cpm increase in D-3 ROS was 0.47 (0.30-0.74) for ICSI and 0.56 (0.37-0.85) for IVF.


CONCLUSIONS
During extended in vitro culture, ROS generated in culture media by day 3 may be an important biochemical marker for blastulation. An increase of 10 units in D-3 ROS may decrease the clinical pregnancy by 41%.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Mohamed A
MA
Bedaiwy
Reda Z
RZ
Mahfouz
Jeffrey M
JM
Goldberg
Rakesh
R
Sharma
Tommaso
T
Falcone
Mohamed F
MF
Abdel Hafez
Ashok
A
Agarwal
D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003470:Culture Media; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species