title: Human chorionic gonadotropin from day 2 spent embryo culture media and its relationship to embryo development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect hCG in spent embryo culture media at day 2 after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and to assess the relationship of hCG to embryo development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fertility center and clinical diagnostic laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 102 spent culture media from day 2 human embryos and corresponding unexposed media for blank control.
  
  
  METHODS
  The culture media samples were tested for hCG by ELISA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantity of hCG produced by embryos and correlation with the embryos' developmental status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  hCG was found in 93 of 102 culture media tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation analysis revealed that the concentration of hCG was independent of embryo developmental status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability to detect hCG from day 2 spent culture media may be used as a marker for embryo competence.
authors: Andrology Laboratory Services Inc., Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. siva@androlab.com
authors: Sivakumar
authors: S
authors: Ramu
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Acacio
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Adamowicz
authors: Sylvia
authors: S
authors: Parrett
authors: Rajasingam S
authors: RS
authors: Jeyendran
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism*; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003470:Culture Media