Meiotic spindle presence and oocyte morphology do not predict clinical ICSI outcomes: a study of 967 transferred embryos

Abstract

With a view to correlating oocyte morphology and meiotic spindle presence to clinical intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes, 967 oocytes that led to 967 transferred embryos in 404 embryo transfers were studied. No relationship was found between oocyte morphology (ooplasm texture, perivitelline space largeness, perivitelline space granulation absence/presence and the first polar body shape) or meiotic spindle presence or absence and clinical pregnancy per transfer and implantation rates after ICSI. It was concluded that oocyte morphology and meiotic spindle presence or absence can only predict fertilization, cleavage rates and embryo quality, as previously described in the literature, but do not help in daily ICSI practice in the choice of the metaphase II oocyte that will lead to the embryo that starts clinical pregnancy.

Does first polar body morphology predict oocyte performance during ICSI treatment?

“…Only few published reports have examined the association between 1 PB morphology, implantation rate [5,6,8,11,13] and pregnancy rate [5,12,13]. Our results are in accordance with some of the previously published reports [5,6] however, they contradict other reports [8][9][10][11]13]. Several explanations could be suggested to clarify this discrepancy.…”

“…Moreover, there is a large discrepancy in the literature concerning the timing of 1 PB morphology evaluation ranging from 2 to 11 h following retrieval [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. As has already has been explained this might have a crucial effect on 1 PB morphology.…”

“…Part of these studies [4,6,7,10,13] was performed in a retrospective manner. Moreover, there is a large discrepancy in the literature concerning the timing of 1 PB morphology evaluation ranging from 2 to 11 h following retrieval [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”

“…Several investigators have questioned whether normal development of the 1 PB morphology is correlated to fertilization rate [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], cleavage rate [4,7,10], embryo quality [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13], blastocyst formation [8,12] as well as implantation [5,8,[10][11][12][13] and pregnancy rates [5,6,10,13].…”

Impact of oocyte morphological components on fertilization

“…[9] Bu çalışmaların bir kısmı bu dismorfizmlerin fertilizasyon ve embriyoner gelişim üzerine olumsuz etkisi olduğunu bildirirken, [11][12][13] bir kısmı da etkisi olmadığını bildirmektedir. [14,15] Çalışma-mızda 39 yaş üstü kadın bulunmamakta ve yapılan bir çalışmada 45 yaş ve üstü kadınlarda ZP kalınlaşması-nın ister klasik IVF ister ICSI uygulansın, fertilizasyonu negatif etkilemediği bildirilmiştir. [16] ZP kırılganlığının yaş, bazal FSH ve hCG günü LH düzeyinden etkilendiği ve ZP kırılganlık düzeyinin fertilizasyonu etkilemediği bildirilmiştir.…”