Beneficial effect of reduced oxygen concentration with transfer of blastocysts in IVF patients older than 40 years old

The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of oxygen concentration on implantation, pregnancy and delivery rates in IVF patients older than 40 year old with transfer of blastocysts. Included were 558 women aged 23-45 years old undergoing IVF/ICSI procedures whose embryos were cultured at blastocyst stage under two different oxygen environments (a bi-gas system: 5.6% CO2 in air and a tri-gas system: 5.6% CO2, 5% de O2 and 89.4% N2). The main outcome measures of this study are implantation, pregnancy and delivery rates. Implantation, pregnancy and delivery rates are found to be reduced in women older than 40 years old. The implantation and pregnancy rates are significantly higher in women older than 40 years old from the 5% of O2 group, in comparison to the 20% group (25.00% versus 2.70% and 41.38% versus 5.56%;P < 0.05). The deliveries rates were 13.79% and 5.56% in the 5% and 20% oxygen groups respectively (P: NS). The birthweight was similar in both study groups (P: NS). Gestational age was significantly longer in wo- men from the 5% of O2 group, in comparison to the 20% (36.87 versus 35.87 weeks, P < 0.05). Results indicated that the embryonic culture with 5% of oxygen and transfer of blastocysts in women older than 40 years old improve the results in the in Vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic injection procedures (IVF/ICSI).

Effect of vitrification procedure on chromosomal status of embryos achieved from vitrified and fresh oocytes

Background: In order to assess the chromosomal status in embryos obtained from vitrified and fresh donated oocytes, preimplantational genetic diagnostic (PGD) was performed after biopsy of one blastomere at day 3. METHODS: A total of 249 oocytes were obtained from 23 oocyte donors, 80 oocytes were used in the vitrified group and 151 oocytes were used in the fresh group. Nine chromosomes (13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, X and Y) were investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis in 56 and 121 embryos from vitrified and fresh group respectively. Fertilization, cleavage rate, embryo quality and chromosomal abnormality rate were compared between groups evaluated. Results: Vitrified oocytes showed a survival rate of 97.5%. There was no significant difference in the fertilization rate (82.7% and 91.4%), Day 2 cleavage rate (90.3% and 87.7%) or blastocyst formation rate (31.1% and 44.6%) for the vitrified and fresh groups respectively. Chromosomal abnormality rate (66.1% versus 71.9%), percentage of abnormal blastocysts (61.1% versus 64.8%) and percentage of abnormalities for each analyzed chromosome were similar for the vitrified group compared with the control group. Conclusions: The rates of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos from vitrified oocytes are similar to those published previously;and comparable to those observed in embryos from fresh oocytes. These results confirm that the developmental competence and chromosomal status of embryos obtained from vitrified oocytes is not affected by the vitrification procedure, and they preserve the potential to be fertilized and to develop in to blastocyst stage similar to embryos from fresh oocytes.