title: Perinatal outcomes for transfer of blastocysts vitrified and warmed in defined solutions with recombinant human albumin: 374 babies born after 898 embryo transfers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of a novel, defined vitrification procedure using recombinant human albumin (rHA) for cryopreservation of human blastocysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Private IVF clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,496 patients received vitrified/warmed embryo transfer (ET).
  
  
  METHODS
  Surplus blastocysts, and blastocysts from patients undergoing elective embryo cryopreservation, were vitrified/warmed using Cryotop carriers in homemade solutions containing either human serum albumin (HSA) or rHA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and neonatal outcomes regarding the vitrified/warmed ET procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HSA and rHA groups had a total of 1,163 and 898 vitrified/warmed cycles, respectively. Embryo survival rates (98.7% vs. 98.9%, respectively) and the number of embryos transferred (1.08 ± 0.01 vs. 1.06 ± 0.01, respectively) were similar in the HSA and rHA groups. Clinical pregnancy rates/ET were higher (P < 0.05) in the rHA group (56.0%) than in the HSA group (51.5%). The HSA and rHA groups had similar live delivery rates/pregnancy (72.2% vs. 72.3%, respectively) and perinatal outcomes, including birth weight (2,988 ± 28 vs. 3,046 ± 26 g, respectively). Birth defects occurred in 0.9% and 1.6% of neonates in the HSA and rHA groups, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  rHA effectively replaced HSA for human embryo vitrification procedures, and yielded high rates of pregnancy and live births after vitrified/warmed ET. This new approach will support the development of defined ART systems, which will eliminate the variation and risks associated with the use of blood-derived products.
authors.affiliation: Kuramoto Women's Clinic, 1-1-19 Hakataeki-higashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, 812-0013, Japan, murakami@kuramoto.or.jp.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egashira
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Chizuru
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otsubo
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics; D001724:Birth Weight; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D050498:Live Birth; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics; D058989:Vitrification / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins