title: Vitamin D status and fertility outcomes during winter among couples undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the vitamin D status of men and women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and to investigate associations between vitamin D status and fertility variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional prospective study was undertaken of men and women attending a fertility clinic in Ireland for IVF/ICSI between January and March 2014. Vitamin D status was determined by measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Questionnaires examined knowledge and practices concerning vitamin D. Fertility variables and pregnancy outcomes were assessed in relation to vitamin D status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 73 men and 64 women provided blood samples. Among men, no correlation was found between 25(OH)D and total motility (ρ=0.069, P=0.562), progressive motility (ρ=0.066, P=0.576), count (ρ=0.001, P=0.996), or morphology (ρ=-0.034, P=0.774) of sperm. Additionally, there was no association between 25(OH)D and ongoing pregnancy rates (P=0.158). There was no difference in 25(OH)D between men with and without male factor subfertility issues (P=0.856). Among women, there was no significant correlation between 25(OH)D and anti-Müllerian hormone (P=0.629) or number of collected (P=0.198) and fertilized oocytes (P=0.136). There was no difference in 25(OH)D between women with and without ongoing pregnancy (P=0.222).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No correlation was found between fertility variables or pregnancy outcomes and male or female vitamin D status.
authors.affiliation: National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neville
authors.affiliation: Merrion Fertility Clinic, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martyn
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilbane
authors.affiliation: University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mairead
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Riordan
authors.affiliation: National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Merrion Fertility Clinic, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wingfield
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; UCD School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Malachi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.affiliation: National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; UCD Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: fionnuala.mcauliffe@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Fionnuala M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013081:Sperm Motility; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D015053:Zygote / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Female factor subfertility; In vitro fertilization; Intracytoplasmic sperm injection; Male factor subfertility; Pregnancy rates; Vitamin D