Is the zona pellucida thickness of human embryos influenced by women's age and hormonal levels?

Bałakier, Hanna; Sojecki, Agata; Motamedi, Gelareh; Bashar, Siamak; Mandel, Rodica; Librach, Clifford L.

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.04.015

Cited by 42 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Individual oocytes were evaluated based on 6 parameters: (i) Oocyte shape [ 12 ]; (ii) oocyte size [ 13 ]; (iii) ooplasm characteristics [ 14 – 20 ]; (iv) structure of the perivitelline space (PVS) [ 21 , 22 ]; (v) zona pellucida (ZP) [ 23 , 24 ]; and (vi) polar body (PB) morphology [ 25 – 27 ]. Each parameter was graded as worst (-1), average (0), or best (1), creating a TOS by adding up individual parameter assessments.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oocyte Scoring Enhances Embryo-Scoring in Predicting Pregnancy Chances with IVF Where It Counts Most

et al. 2015

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ContextOur center’s quality improvement optimization process on many occasions anecdotally suggested that oocyte assessments might enhance embryo assessment in predicting pregnancy chances with in vitro fertilization (IVF).ObjectiveTo prospectively compare a morphologic oocyte grading system to standard day-3 morphologic embryo assessment.Design, Setting, PatientsWe prospectively investigated in a private academically-affiliated infertility center 94 consecutive IVF cycles based on 6 criteria for oocyte quality: morphology, cytoplasm, perivitelline space (PVS), zona pellucida (ZP), polar body (PB) and oocyte size, each assigned a value of -1 (worst), 0 (average) or +1 (best), so establishing an average total oocyte score (TOS). Embryo assessment utilized grade and cell numbers of each embryo on day-3 after oocyte retrieval. Clinical pregnancy was defined by presence of at least one intrauterine gestational sac.InterventionsStandard IVF cycles in infertile women.Main Outcome MeasuresPredictability of pregnancy based on oocyte and embryo-grading systems.ResultsAverage age for all patients was 36.5 ± 7.3 years; mean oocyte yield was 7.97± 5.76; Patient specific total oocyte score (PTOS) was -1.05 ± 2.24. PTOS, adjusted for patient age, was directly related to odds of increased embryo cell numbers (OR 1.12, P = 0.025), embryo grade (OR 1.19, P < 0.001) and clinical pregnancy [OR 1.58 (95%CI 1.23 to 2.02), P < 0.001]. Restricting the analysis to day three embryos of high quality (8-cell/ good grades), TOS was still predictive of clinical pregnancy (OR 2.08 (95%CI 1.26 to 3.44, P = 0.004). Among the 69 patients with embryos of Grade 4 or better available for transfer 23 achieved Clinical Pregnancy. When the analysis was restricted to the 69 transfers with good quality embryos (≥ Grade 4) the Oocyte Scoring System (TOS) (AUC±SE 0.863±0.044, oocyte score) provided significantly greater predictive value for clinical pregnancy compared to the embryo grade alone (AUC 0.646 ± 0.072, embryo grade) p = 0.015.ConclusionsOocyte-scoring, thus, provides useful clinical information especially in good prognosis patients with large numbers of high quality embryos. This finding appears of particular importance at a time when many IVF centers are committing sizable investments to closed incubation systems with time-lapse photography, which are exclusively meant to define embryo morphology.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oocyte Scoring Enhances Embryo-Scoring in Predicting Pregnancy Chances with IVF Where It Counts Most

et al. 2015

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“…To remove acrosomal and membranous contents, spermatozoa were treated with plasma membrane-disrupting agent Triton X-100 (TX) prior to ICSI, as described previously (17). Standard ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval procedures were performed (18). Oocytes donated for this study were unsuitable for clinical use and considered waste material.…”

Section: Human Gamete Preparation Microinjection and Calcium Measurmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm‐derived WW domain‐binding protein, PAWP, elicits calcium oscillations and oocyte activation in humans and mice

Aarabi¹,

et al. 2014

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Mammalian zygotic development is initiated by sperm-mediated intracellular calcium oscillations, followed by activation of metaphase II-arrested oocytes. Sperm postacrosomal WW binding protein (PAWP) fulfils the criteria set for an oocyte-activating factor by inducing oocyte activation and being stored in the perinuclear theca, the sperm compartment whose content is first released into oocyte cytoplasm during fertilization. However, proof that PAWP initiates mammalian zygotic development relies on demonstration that it acts upstream of oocyte calcium oscillations. Here, we show that PAWP triggers calcium oscillations and pronuclear formation in human and mouse oocytes similar to what is observed during intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Most important, sperm-induced calcium oscillations are blocked by coinjection of a competitive inhibitor, derived from the WWI domain-binding motif of PAWP, implying the requirement of sperm PAWP and an oocyte-derived WWI domain protein substrate of PAWP for successful fertilization. Sperm-delivered PAWP is, therefore, a unique protein with a nonredundant role during human and mouse fertilization, required to trigger zygotic development. Presented data confirm our previous findings in nonmammalian models and suggest potential applications of PAWP in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.-

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“…Women in her late 30s and early 40s are at some disadvantage in terms of conception delay, ability to carry a chromosomally normal fetus until term and risk of trisomy conception. 25 Our results showed that all the infertile women were in their late 30s but there were no differences in age-range between those who got pregnant and those who did not; the possible reasons include normal zona pellucida thickness of embryos 26 or normal activation of the hedgehog signaling pathway. 27 or simply that many of the maternal regulations which are impaired by age 28 were not affected.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

Progesterone Receptor Phosphorylation is Associated to Claudin 1and 6 Expression and Pregnancy Success in ART-Treated Women

Paz-Martínez¹,

Moreno-Barragán²,

Godoy-Morales³

et al. 2015

EMIJ

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The success in infertility hormonal treatments and achieving a successful pregnancy is of great importance among infertile couples. Consequently the need to define new endometrial markers to evaluate the real impact of treatments is pressing. Since blastocyst implantation in a functional endometrium in the so-called "window of receptivity" is strongly associated to progesterone, our aim was to correlate the level of expression of progesterone-dependent claudins-1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -6, αvβ3 integrin, LIF and progesterone receptor with pregnancy success in endometrial biopsies of primary infertile women. Endometrium was obtained during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle from eight healthy and fertile women and 48 primary infertile women aged 30-47 years old being treated in the Infertility Clinic, Hospital "Angeles" del Pedregal, México.Immunohistochemical analysis of the biopsies was performed with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies reactive to claudins-1 to -6, LIF, αvβ3 integrin, progesterone receptor (PR) and its phosphorylated form (pPR). Sera obtained the same day of the biopsy were used to determine anti-Mullerian hormone concentration. The results showed that less claudin-1 and -6, LIF and integrin αvβ3 abundance together with pPR was associated with successful pregnancy in 20 of the women, the remaining 28 did not became pregnant but interestingly pPR could not be detected. In conclusion the examination of claudin-1 and -6 together with the phosphorylation of PR in the endometrial biopsies of infertile women under ART protocols will help predict greater successful pregnancy.

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Is the zona pellucida thickness of human embryos influenced by women's age and hormonal levels?

Cited by 42 publications

References 36 publications

Oocyte Scoring Enhances Embryo-Scoring in Predicting Pregnancy Chances with IVF Where It Counts Most

Oocyte Scoring Enhances Embryo-Scoring in Predicting Pregnancy Chances with IVF Where It Counts Most

Sperm‐derived WW domain‐binding protein, PAWP, elicits calcium oscillations and oocyte activation in humans and mice

Progesterone Receptor Phosphorylation is Associated to Claudin 1and 6 Expression and Pregnancy Success in ART-Treated Women

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