title: The follicular microenviroment as a predictor of pregnancy: MALDI-TOF MS lipid profile in cumulus cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This research proposed to study the changes in lipid composition in cumulus cells (CCs) from women who achieved pregnancy compared with women who did not, after in vitro fertilization treatment. This approach has the potential to provide novel information on the lipid metabolism of the CCs and as an additional method to predict pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four samples from couples with tubal and male factor infertility and where the female partner was age 35 or younger were divided in two groups according to their level of hCG 14 days after embryo transfer as follows: (1) 23 samples in pregnant group and (2) 31 samples in non-pregnant group. Lipid extraction was performed by the Bligh-Dyer protocol, and lipid profiles were obtained by MALDI-TOF MS. Mass spectra data were processed with MassLynx, and statistical analysis was performed using MarkerLynx extended statistic. OPLS-DA model was built.
  
  
  RESULTS
  S-plot Analysis revealed three ions as potential markers in the pregnant group, and five ions in the non-pregnant group. These ions were identified in the human metabolome database (HMDB) as phosphatidylcholine in the pregnant group and as phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol species in the non-pregnant group. These lipids might be involved in cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis and GAP junction regulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that MALDI-TOF MS can be used as an informative and fast analytical strategy to obtain and study the lipid profile of cumulus cells and can potentially be used as a supporting tool to predict pregnancy based on the metabolic state of the CCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Human Reproduction Section, Sao Paulo Federal University, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, Rua Embaú, 231, CEP: 04039-060.
authors.forename: Daniela Antunes
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Montani
authors.forename: Fernanda Bertuccez
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: Thaís
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Regiani
authors.forename: Amanda Begati
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Victorino
authors.forename: Eduardo Jorge
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pilau
authors.forename: Fábio Cesar
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Gozzo
authors.forename: Christina Ramires
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fraietta
authors.forename: Edson Guimarães
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Lo Turco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000166:cytology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids