Microfluidic thermotaxic selection of highlymotile sperm and in vitro fertilization

The selection of the most motile and functionally competent sperm is an essential basis for in vitro fertilization(IVF)and normal embryonic development.Widely adopted clinical approaches for sperm sample processing intensely rely on centrifugation and wash steps that may induce mechanical damage and oxidative stress to sperm.Although a few microfluidic sperm sorting devices may avoid these adverse effects by exploiting intrinsic guidance mechanisms of sperm swimming,none of these approaches have been fully validated by clinical-grade assessment criteria.In this study,a microfluidic sperm sorting device that enables the selection of highly motile and functional sperm via their intrinsic thermotaxis is presented.Bioinspired by the temperature microenvironment in the fallopian tube during natural sperm selection,a microfluidic device with controllable temperature gradients along the sperm separation channel was designed and fabricated.This study investigated the optimal temperature conditions for human sperm selection and fully characterized thermotaxis-selected sperm with 45 human sperm samples.Results indicated that a temperature range of 35–36.5℃along the separation channel significantly improves human sperm motility rate((85.25±6.28)%vs.(60.72±1.37)%;P=0.0484),increases normal sperm morphology rate((16.42±1.43)%vs.(12.55±0.88)%;P<0.0001),and reduces DNA fragmentation((7.44±0.79)%vs.(10.36±0.72)%;P=0.0485)compared to the nonthermotaxis group.Sperm thermotaxis is species-specific,and selected mouse sperm displayed the highest motility in response to a temperature range of 36–37.5℃along the separation channel.Furthermore,IVF experiments indicated that the selected sperm permitted an increased fertilization rate and improved embryonic development from zygote to blastocyst.This microfluidic thermotaxic selection approach will be translated into clinical practice to improve the IVF success rate for patients with oligozoospermia and asthenozoospermia.

Association between Exposure of Rare Earth Elements and Outcomes of In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer in Beijing

Objective The study aimed to investigate the impact of rare earth elements(REEs)exposure on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET)by analyzing samples from spouses.Methods A total of 141 couples were included.Blood and follicular fluid from the wives and semen plasma from the husbands,were analyzed for REEs using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS).Spearman's correlation coefficients and the Mann–Whitney U test were used to assess correlations and compare REE concentrations among three types of samples,respectively.Logistic models were utilized to estimate the individual REE effect on IVF-ET outcomes,while BKMR and WQS models explored the mixture of REE interaction effects on IVF-ET outcomes.Results Higher La concentration in semen(median 0.089 ng/mL,P=0.03)was associated with a lower fertilization rate.However,this effect was not observed after artificial selection intervention through intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)(P=0.27).In semen,the REEs mixture did not exhibit any significant association with clinical pregnancy.Conclusion Our study revealed a potential association between high La exposure in semen and a decline in fertilization rate,but not clinical pregnancy rate.This is the first to report REEs concentrations in follicular fluid with La,Ce,Pr,and Nd found at significantly lower concentrations than in serum,suggesting that these four REEs may not accumulate in the female reproductive system.However,at the current exposure levels,mixed REEs exposure did not exhibit reproductive toxicity.

The barriers of joining in vitro fertilization programs among infertile couples in developing countries:A scoping review

Objective:To determine the barriers of joining in-vitro fertilization(IVF)programs among infertile couples in developing countries.Methods:This study assessed infertile couples and the barriers or associated factors resulting in delayed decision-making of joining IVF program by searching databases PubMed,ScienceDirect,EBSCO,ClinicalKey,and Cochrane Library from inception until December 31,2021.Additional search strategies were snowballing literature search and citation tracking.Results:Eleven articles were included in the scoping review.The cost was the greatest barrier of joining IVF program.Limited access and lack of assisted reproductive technology centers,few qualified infertility trained staff,insufficient government support,low priority in government policy,along with sociocultural factors,such as religion and false beliefs or myths were also majorly considered to be associated obstacles.Conclusions:The main barrier associated with IVF program among infertile couples in developing countries is the high cost of the IVF services.

Live births from in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer following the administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist without gonadotropins:Two case reports

BACKGROUND The prevalence of female infertility between the ages of 25 and 44 is 3.5%to 16.7%in developed countries and 6.9%to 9.3%in developing countries.This means that infertility affects one in six couples and is recognized by the World Health Organization as the fifth most serious global disability.The International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology reported that the global total of babies born as a result of assisted reproductive technology procedures and other advanced fertility treatments is more than 8 million.Advancements in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation procedures led to crucial accomplishments in human fertility treatments.The European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology guideline on ovarian stimulation gave us valuable evidence-based recommendations to optimize ovarian stimulation in assisted reproductive technology.Conventional ovarian stimulation protocols for in vitro fertilization(IVF)–embryo transfer are based upon the administration of gonadotropins combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)analogues,either GnRH agonists(GnRHa)or antagonists.The development of ovarian cysts requires the combination of GnRHa and gonadotropins for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.However,in rare cases patients may develop an ovarian hyper response after administration of GnRHa alone.CASE SUMMARY Here,two case studies were conducted.In the first case,a 33-year-old female diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome presented for her first IVF cycle at our reproductive center.Fourteen days after triptorelin acetate was administrated(day 18 of her menstrual cycle),bilateral ovaries presented polycystic manifestations.The patient was given 5000 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin.Twenty-two oocytes were obtained,and eight embryos formed.Two blastospheres were transferred in the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle,and the patient was impregnated.In the second case,a 37-year-old woman presented to the reproductive center for her first donor IVF cycle.Fourteen days after GnRHa administration,the transvaginal ultrasound revealed six follicles measuring 17-26 mm in the bilateral ovaries.The patient was given 10000 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin.Three oocytes were obtained,and three embryos formed.Two high-grade embryos were transferred in the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle,and the patient was impregnated.CONCLUSION These two special cases provide valuable knowledge through our experience.We hypothesize that oocyte retrieval can be an alternative to cycle cancellation in these conditions.Considering the high progesterone level in most cases of this situation,we advocate freezing embryos after oocyte retrieval rather than fresh embryo transfer.

Effect of Mitochondrial Function of Ovarian Granulosa Cells on In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer Outcomes in Obese Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients

Objective:To investigate the effect of abnormal ovarian granulosa cell metabolism on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET)outcomes in obese polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients.Methods:Patients with PCOS who met the study criteria were screened according to the inclusion criteria.A total of 32 patients with obese PCOS were recruited into the study group,and 39 patients with non-obese PCOS were recruited into the control group.The general data(age,body mass index,and years of infertility),insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR),follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH),granulosa cell mitochondrial function,and IVF-ET outcome of patients in the study group and control group were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The differences in age and years of infertility between the study group and the control group were insignificant(P>0.05),and the body mass index(BMI)of the study group and control group was 30.5±1.24 kg/m2 and 22.3±1.12 kg/m2,respectively,in which the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);the HOMA-IR of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05);the reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the ATP content in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05);comparing the FSH and LH levels between the two groups,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05);the rate of IVF-ET failure was significantly higher in the study group than in the control group.Conclusion:PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder,and obesity is one of the independent risk factors for the development of PCOS.

A nomogram predicting clinical pregnancy in the first fresh embryo transfer for women undergoing in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(IVF/ICSI) treatments

The extent to which factors affect the probability of clinical pregnancy in the first fresh embryo transfer after assisted conception is unknown.In order to examine the predictors of clinical pregnancy,a retrospective cohort study was launched between January 1,2013 and December 31,2016 in four infertility clinics including 19837 in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(IVF/ICSI)fresh cycles with known outcomes and relevant records.A multivariable logistic regression was used to select the most significant predictors in the final nomogram for predicting clinical pregnancy.Furthermore,the model was validated by an independent validation set and the performance of the model was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves along with the area under the ROC curve(AUC)and calibration plots.In a training set including 17854 participants,we identified that female age,tubal factor,number of embryos transferred,endometrial thickness and number of good-quality embryos were independent predictors for clinical pregnancy.We developed a nomogram using these five factors and the predictive ability was 0.66 for AUC(95%CI=0.64−0.68),which was independently validated in the validation set(AUC=0.66,95%CI=0.65−0.68).Our results show that some specific factors can be used to provide infertile couples with an accurate assessment of clinical pregnancy following assisted conception and facilitate to guide couples and clinicians.

Case Report: Acupuncture Treatment in Female Patient Undergoing IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)

Acupuncture as part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used for a very long time as a treatment for infertility issues. Through the specific acupoints located on the meridians, with the acupuncture treatment the Qi and blood flow can be regulated and the whole body energy balanced. Acupuncture increases the blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, improving the implantation condition, the ovarian and follicular function and balancing the hormones. In this research, it is presented a case of 32-year-old woman who has already had an unsuccessful in vitro cycle, 6 months before starting acupuncture treatments. The patient has done 8 acupuncture treatments in our clinic before starting the second cycle of embryo transfer. The treatments were done twice monthly in a period of 4 months. Before starting the first embryo transfer, the FSH was at high levels: 11 mIU/mL (1.98 - 11.6). After the acupuncture treatments, it was normalized to 8.11 mIu/mL. The second embryo transfer was successful and so far the patient is in good health. Acupuncture treatment as part of the TCM, helps the female reproductive system to function properly, especially in an important periods of fertilization, keeping the pregnancy rates high.

Effects of Cumulus Cells on in vitro Fertilization of Bovine

[Objective] The aim was to explore the effect of cumulus cells on the in vitro fertilization of in vitro matured bovine oocytes. [Method] The in vitro matured oocytes were divided into three groups of cumulus cells removal, partial removal and no removal. [Result] In the co-culture with cumulus cells, the oocytes of the removal group had higher cleavage rate and blastocyst rate （74.4%±4.1, 53.7%±5.1） than those of the no removal group （72.7%±5.1, 52.4%±3.5）, but the difference was not significant （P〉0.05）, while both groups had better performances than the re- moval group （39.6%±4.5, 18.8%±4.6） with the difference reaching the significant level （P〈0.05）. All the three groups showed significant difference with the control. The combination of cumulus cells and melatonin achieved the best effects as the cleavage rate and blastocyst rate of the partial removal group （79.8%±3.7, 56.5%±5.1） were better than those of the no removal group （78.2%±2.6, 55.8%±4.6）, and the difference was not significant, while both group had better performances than the removal group （48.3%±5.5, 22.7%±4.3） and the control group with the differences reaching the significant level （P〈0.05）. [Conclusion] The study provided technical support for the production of dairy cows and beef cattle.

In Vitro Fertilization of Angiosperms-10-Year Effort in China

This review gives a brief retrospect to the development on in vitro fertilization (IVF) of angiosperms in China. During the last decade Chinese scientists put great enthusiasm and efforts on IVF system construction and built up notable contributions to the flourish of this field. Keeping pace with international development and participating international cooperation in the field of IVF, Chinese scientists have now focused on the investigation of basic mechanism relevant to possible gamete interaction, egg cell activation and early embryogenesis by IVF. In vitro manipulation techniques are combined with cytological and molecular biological approaches to unveil the double fertilization mysteries.

In Vitro Fertilization in Maize and Tobacco: The Fusion Patterns During Sexual Cell Fusion

Large scale of sexual cell fusion was carried out in order to observe the fusion pattern during in vitro fertilization with special interest in the influence of cell volume on the membrane behavior. Three patterns could be recognized in sexual cell fusion, which was supported by fluorescent microscopy with the aid of video enhanced system and cooled CCD. It was found that the fusion pattern and cell membrane behavior were related to the cell volume ratio of two fusing cells. The results reported here might be useful for interpreting and evaluating data from in vitro fertilization experiments and for explaining male cytoplasm exclusion during fertilization.

子宫内膜不典型增生/早期子宫内膜癌患者保留生育功能治疗后IVF-ET妊娠结局及复发因素分析

目的分析子宫内膜不典型增生/早期子宫内膜癌(AH/EEC)患者保留生育功能治疗后接受体外受精-胚胎移植(IVF-ET)治疗的临床特点和预后,分析影响助孕妊娠结局和疾病复发的主要因素。方法回顾性分析2012年2月至2022年2月在北京协和医院接受AH/EEC生育保留治疗后进行IVF-ET治疗的78例患者的临床资料。总结分析纳入患者的临床特征、IVF-ET相关指标、妊娠结局和复发情况,以单因素和多因素分析临床妊娠率、活产率以及疾病复发的影响因素。结果78例患者中51例(65.38%)为AH患者,27例(34.62%)为EEC患者;开始IVF-ET周期的平均年龄为(34.17±3.70)岁。共有74例患者至少接受了1次移植,每移植周期的临床妊娠率和活产率分别为36.31%(65/179)和18.99%(34/179),累积妊娠率为72.97%(54/74)。多因素分析提示子宫内膜病变初次发病年龄是活产率的独立影响因素[OR=0.8794,95%CI(0.785,0.983),P=0.02]。纳入患者IVF-ET期间子宫内膜病变的总复发率为6.41%(5/78),多因素分析提示子宫内膜病变的病理类型和IVF-ET前复发史是疾病复发的危险因素(P<0.05)。结论AH/EEC患者保留生育功能治疗后的辅助生殖结局相对满意,在肿瘤治疗过程中,进行病变评估时应尽量保护内膜,减少损伤;在肿瘤治疗结束后,应尽快进行助孕治疗,以最大程度降低复发率。

卵巢储备功能低下患者血清AMH、Betatrophin水平与卵巢反应性、IVF-ET妊娠结局关系

目的:探讨卵巢储备功能低下(DOR)患者血清抗苗勒管激素(AMH)、促代谢因子(Betatrophin)水平与卵巢反应性及体外受精-胚胎移植(IVF-ET)妊娠结局的关系。方法:收集2019年12月-2022年12月在本院行IVF-ET的DOR患者137例临床资料,根据卵巢反应性将患者分为低反应组(n=112)、正常反应组(n=16)、高反应组(n=9);根据妊娠结局将患者分为妊娠成功组(n=44)和妊娠失败组(n=93)。酶联免疫吸附法检测血清AMH、Betatrophin水平,受试者工作特性(ROC)曲线评估2项指标预测IVF-ET妊娠结局价值;多因素logistic回归分析影响妊娠的因素。结果:低反应组、正常组、高反应组血清AMH水平(0.49±0.13 ng/ml、0.98±0.21 ng/ml、1.05±0.26 ng/ml)依次升高,血清Betatrophin水平(156.95±16.33 pg/ml、112.17±13.42 pg/ml、92.64±11.03 pg/ml)依次降低;妊娠成功组血清AMH水平(1.07±0.36 ng/ml)高于妊娠失败组(0.34±0.19 ng/ml),Betatrophin水平(136.29±14.42 pg/ml)低于妊娠失败组(216.16±21.05 pg/ml)(均P<0.05)。血清AMH、Betatrophin预测DOR患者IVF-ET妊娠结局的曲线下面积(AUC)(95%CI)别为0.857、0.771,两项指标联合预测的AUC为0.904。多因素logistic回归分析显示,卵泡刺激素/促黄体生成素比值≥2、卵巢低反应、AMH≤0.71 ng/ml、Betatrophin≥176.23 pg/ml是DOR患者IVF-ET妊娠失败的独立危险因素(P<0.05)。结论:血清AMH、Betatrophin水平与DOR患者卵巢反应性、IVF-ET妊娠结局有关,二者有望作为预测DOR患者IVF-ET妊娠结局的生物标记物。

不孕症患者IVF-ET后不明原因反复种植失败的预测因素分析

目的分析不孕症患者体外受精-胚胎移植(IVF-ET)后不明原因反复种植失败(RIF)的预测因素。方法前瞻性纳入2020年6月至2022年6月无锡市妇幼保健院接诊的82例IVF-ET的不孕症患者作为研究对象,根据RIF发生原因将患者分为RIF组与不明原因RIF组。比较两组患者的基线资料、实验室指标,分析IVF-ET后不明原因RIF的影响因素;分析各项影响因素对不孕症患者IVF-ET后不明原因RIF的预测价值。结果82例患者中不明原因RIF 22例,占比为26.83%。Logistic回归分析结果显示,高水平CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)、纤维蛋白原(FIB)是不孕症患者IVF-ET后不明原因RIF的独立危险因素(OR>1,P<0.05),高水平抗米勒管激素(AMH)、血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)、粒细胞集落刺激因子(G-CSF)是其保护因素(OR<1,P<0.05)。绘制受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线结果显示,AMH、CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)、FIB、VEGF、G-CSF预测不孕症患者IVF-ET后不明原因RIF的曲线下面积(AUC)>0.70,均具有一定预测价值。结论AMH、CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)、FIB、VEGF、G-CSF对不孕症患者IVF-ET后不明原因RIF有一定预测价值。

健脾补肾活血汤辅助IVF-ET对不孕患者卵巢储备功能、胚胎质量及妊娠率的影响

目的:探讨健脾补肾活血汤辅助体外受精-胚胎移植(IVF-ET)对不孕患者卵巢储备功能、胚胎质量及妊娠率的影响。方法:选取医院2019年11月~2022年11月68例不孕症患者,随机数字表法分为两组,均34例。对照组采用IVF-ET治疗,观察组采用健脾补肾活血汤辅助IVF-ET治疗。观察疗效,对比治疗前后中医证候积分、卵巢储备功能、胚胎质量及妊娠情况。结果:观察组较对照组总有效率升高(P<0.05);治疗后,观察组较对照组中医证候积分降低(P<0.05);治疗后,观察组较对照组卵泡最大直径、子宫内膜厚度均升高,卵巢体积降低(P<0.05);观察组较对照组可用胚胎数、优质胚胎数均升高(P<0.05);观察组较对照组生化妊娠率、临床妊娠率均升高(P<0.05)。结论:健脾补肾活血汤辅助IVF-ET治疗不孕症的疗效显著,能缓解患者症状,改善卵巢储备功能,提高胚胎质量及妊娠率。

中药安胎一号穴位贴敷联合黄体酮治疗IVF-ET术后先兆流产疗效分析

目的探讨中药安胎一号穴位贴敷联合黄体酮治疗IVF-ET术后先兆流产患者的疗效。方法选择2021年5月—2022年5月医院收治的80例IVF-ET术后先兆流产患者,按照随机数表法分为观察组和对照组,各40例。对照组使用黄体酮注射液治疗,观察组患者在对照组的基础上,联合中药安胎一号穴位贴敷治疗,两组均持续治疗2周。2周后比较两组治疗后的临床疗效、中医证候积分、雌二醇(E_(2))、孕酮(P)、人绒毛膜促性腺激素(β-HCG)水平及不良反应发生率。结果观察组临床疗效总有效率比对照组高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,观察组阴道出血、腰腹疼痛、神疲乏力、头晕耳鸣积分均低于对照组,E_(2)、P、β-HCG水平均高于对照组(P<0.05)。两组不良反应发生率相比,无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论中药安胎一号穴位贴敷联合黄体酮治疗IVF-ET术后先兆流产患者的疗效明显,缓解临床症状,并改善性激素水平,值得临床推广。

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection in cases with a history of in vitro fertilization failure

<abstract>Aim: To evaluate the effect of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the management of cases with a history of conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure. Methods: Two groups of patients, 19 with normal semen parameters and a history of IVF failure (metaphase Ⅱ oocytes: 0~30 %) and 28 with severe male factor infertility received ICSI technology during the same period. Ovarian stimulation was achieved by conventional procedure. Transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte collection was done 35~37 h after human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) injection. Only metaphase Ⅱ oocytes were selected for microinjection. Results: Fertilization was achieved with ICSI in all the patients. The fertilization rate (75.6 %±21.1 % vs. 73.9 %±19.2 %), cleavage rate (85.1 %±19.3 % vs. 82.7 %±22.1 %), clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer cycle (31.6 % vs. 28.6 %) and implantation rate per embryo (15.3 % vs. 14.4 %) did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: ICSI is a valuable method for couples with a history of IVF failure. These patients may have a similar ICSI result as in severe male infertility.

A highly homozygous and parthenogenetic human embryonic stem cell line derived from a one-pronuclear oocyte following in vitro fertilization procedure

Homozygous human embryonic stem cells （hESCs） are thought to be better cell sources for hESC banking because their human leukocyte antigen （HLA） haplotype would strongly increase the degree of matching for certain populations with relatively smaller cohorts of cell lines. Homozygous hESCs can be generated from parthenogenetic embryos, but only heterozygous hESCs have been established using the current strategy to artificially activate the oocyte without second polar body extrusion. Here we report the first successful derivation of a human homozygous ESC line （chHES- 32） from a one-pronuclear oocyte following routine in vitro fertilization treatment, chHES-32 cells express common markers and genes with normal hESCs. They have been propagated in an undifferentiated state for more than a year （〉P50） and have maintained a stable karyotype of 46, XX. When differentiated in vivo and in vitro, chHES-32 cells can form derivatives from all three embryonic germ layers. The almost undetectable expression of five paternally expressed imprinted genes and their HLA genotype identical to the oocyte donor indicated their parthenogenetic origin. Using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis and DNA fingerprinting, the homozygosity of chHES-32 cells was further confirmed. The results indicated that ‘ unwanted＇ one-pronuclear oocytes might be a potential source for human homozygous and parthenogenetic ESCs, and suggested an alternative strategyfor obtaining homozygous hESC lines from parthenogenetic haploid oocytes.

Fertilization of IVF/ICSI Using Sibling Oocytes from Couples with Subfertile Male or Unexplained Infertility

The significance of the performance of conventional in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) using sibling oocytes from couples with subfertile male or unexplained infertility was evaluated. A total of 410 sibling oocyte cumulus-corona complexes (OCCC) from 21 couples with subfertile male (group A) and 11 unexplained infertile couples (group B) were randomly divided, in order of retrieval, into two groups inseminated either by conventional IVF or by ICSI. The treatment outcomes and the influence of infertility factors on fertilization in each group were compared. The results showed that although the two pronuclear (2PN) fertilization rate per injected sibling oocytes was significantly higher after ICSI (group A: 68.2 %±28.8 %; group B: 66.2 %±24.9 %) than after conventional IVF (group A: 41.8 %±32.7 %; group B: 40.1 %±22.1 %), the other variables studied included: the fertilization rates of per allocated sibling oocytes IVF/ICSI, the fertilization rates of sibling oocytes IVF/ICSI after excluding failed IVF fertilization cycles, as well as the cleavage rates of normal fertilization were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Similarly, though the total fertilization failure rate in the IVF group (group A: 42.9 %; group B: 36.4 %) was significantly higher than in the ICSI group (group A: 4.8 %; group B: 0), we did not cancel cycles due to the normal fertilization of sibling oocytes. Embryo transfer was possible in all 32 couples. There were 10 clinical pregnancies in the two groups. We also discovered a possible association between some semen parameters and sperm functions of group A, and women age and duration of infertility of group B and fertilization. It is suggested that adoption of the split IVF/ICSI technology in the above cases may help eliminate fertilization failures. This is also a useful method to investigate the effect of single factor on the employment of assisted reproductive technology.

Untreated Prior Pulmonary Tuberculosis Adversely Affects Pregnancy Outcomes in Infertile Women Undergoing in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective Prior pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB) on chest X-ray(CXR) was commonly found in infertile patients receiving examinations before in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET). It was unclear whether untreated PTB would affect pregnancy outcomes after IVF-ET.Method We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 14,254 infertile patients who had received IVFET at Peking University Third Hospital in 2017. Prior PTB was defined as the presence of signs suggestive of old or inactive PTB on CXR, with or without a clinical TB history. Patients who had prior PTB on CXR but had not received a clinical diagnosis and anti-TB therapy were included for analysis. Live birth,clinical pregnancy, and miscarriage rates were compared between the untreated PTB and non-PTB groups.Results The untreated PTB group had significantly lower clinical pregnancy(31.7% vs. 38.1%) and live birth(23.8% vs. 30.6%) rates than the non-PTB group(both P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that untreated PTB was a risk factor for decreased live birth rate [odds ratio(OR), 0.80;95% confidence interval(CI), 0.66–0.98;P = 0.028] in all patients and for increased miscarriage(OR, 4.19;95% CI,1.69–10.39;P = 0.002) and decreased live birth(OR, 0.45;95% CI, 0.24–0.83;P = 0.011) rates in patients with unexplained infertility.Conclusions Untreated PTB was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes after IVF-ET, especially in patients with unexplained infertility, highlighting the clinical significance of PTB in this specific patient population.

Reproductive Outcomes in Women with Prior Cesarean Section Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization:A Retrospective Case-control Study

The impact of prior cesarean section（CS） on the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer（IVF-ET） was investigated. A retrospective analysis was performed on 144 patients with prior CS between January 2013 and December 2015. The pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcomes of patients who had previous CS delivery and received IVF-ET were analyzed. The control group comprised 166 patients who had only previous vaginal delivery（VD） and received IVF-ET during the same period. The results showed that the basal follicle stimulating hormone level, estradiol level on human chorionic gonadotropin（h CG） day, gonadotrophin dosage, duration of stimulation, retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, high-quality embryo rate, multiple birth rate, abortion rate and ectopic pregnancy rate had no significant difference between the two groups（P〉0.05）. The pregnancy rate（40.28% vs. 54.22%） and implantation rate（24.01% vs. 34.67%） were significantly lower（P〈0.05）, and the ratio of embryo difficulty transfer（9/144 vs. 0/166） was significantly higher in CS group than in VD group. The risk of pernicious placenta previa and postpartum hemorrhage in twin deliveries was significantly increased in CS group as compared with that in VD group（P〈0.05）, and gestational age and neonatal birth weight were significantly reduced in twin deliveries as compared with singleton deliveries in both groups（P〈0.05）. It was suggested that the existence of CS scar may impact embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy outcome, and increase the difficulty of ET. We should limit the number of transfer embryos to avoid multiple pregnancies and strengthen gestational supervision in patients with cesarean scar.