Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jun;33(6):731-9.
doi: 10.1007/s10815-016-0692-6. Epub 2016 Mar 14.

Oxidative markers in cryopreservation medium from frozen-thawed embryos: a possible tool for improved embryo selection in in vitro fertilization?

Zofnat Wiener-Megnazi  1 , Shirly Lahav-Baratz  2 , Idit Blais  2 , Sarah Matarasso  2 , Mara Koifman  2 , Sergei Shnizer  2 , David Ishai  2 , Gil Peer  2 , Grace Younes  2 , Ariel Zilberlicht  2 , Ron Auslander  2 , Martha Dirnfeld  2
Affiliations

Oxidative markers in cryopreservation medium from frozen-thawed embryos: a possible tool for improved embryo selection in in vitro fertilization?

Zofnat Wiener-Megnazi et al. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: The present study evaluated the association between oxidative parameters in embryo cryopreservation medium and laboratory and clinical outcomes.

Methods: This prospective laboratory study was conducted in an IVF unit in a university-affiliated hospital with 91 IVF patients undergoing a frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle. Following thawing, 50 μL of embryo cryopreservation medium was retrieved from each cryotube and tested by the thermochemiluminescence (TCL) assay. TCL amplitudes after 50 (H1), 150 (H2), and 280 s (H3) were recorded in counts per second (CPS) and the TCL ratio determined for comparison with implantation and pregnancy rates.

Results: A total of 194 embryos were transferred in 85 frozen-thaw cycles. Twenty-one pregnancies (24.7 %) occurred. Implantation and overall and clinical pregnancy rates were higher when the median TCL H1 amplitude was <32 CPS compared to ≥32 CPS (14.6 vs. 5.3 %, 37.5 vs. 17 %, 28.1 vs. 9.4 %, respectively). No pregnancies occurred when the H1 amplitude was ≥40 CPS. Logistic regression multivariate analysis found that only the median TCL H1 amplitude was associated with the occurrence of pregnancy (OR = 2.93, 95 % CI 1.065-8.08). The TCL ratio inversely correlated with the duration of embryo cryopreservation (r = -0.37).

Conclusions: The results indicate that thawed embryos may express oxidative processes in the cryopreservation medium, and higher oxidative levels are associated with lower implantation rates. These findings may aid in the improved selection of frozen-thawed embryos for IVF.

Keywords: Cryopreservation; Embryo; IVF; Oxidation; Pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Comparison of implantation, overall pregnancy, and clinical pregnancy rates in relation to median TCL H1 (32 CPS) amplitude in the cryopreservation medium
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A dot plot describing the distribution of TCL H1 amplitude in conception vs. non-conception cycles according to embryo age (2 vs. 3 days)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Trounson AO, Mohr L. Human pregnancy following cryopreservation, thawing and transfer of an eight-cell embryo. Nature. 1983;305:707–709. doi: 10.1038/305707a0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pattinson HA, Hignett M, Dunphy BC, Fleetham JA. Outcome of thaw embryo transfer after cryopreservation of all embryos in patients at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Fertil Steril. 1994;62:1192–1196. doi: 10.1016/S0015-0282(16)57184-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wiener-Megnazi Z, Lahav-Baratz S, Rothschild E, Abramovici H, Dirnfeld M. Impact of cryopreservation and subsequent embryo transfer on the outcome of in vitro fertilization in patients at high risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Fertil Steril. 2002;78:201–203. doi: 10.1016/S0015-0282(02)03190-4. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bedoschi G, Oktay K. Current approach to fertility preservation by embryo cryopreservation. Fertil Steril. 2013;99:1496–1502. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.03.020. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wong KM, Mastenbroek S, Repping S. Cryopreservation of human embryos and its contribution to in vitro fertilization success rates. Fertil Steril. 2014;102(1):19–26. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.05.027. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources