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PGR and PTX3 gene expression in cumulus cells from obese and normal weighting women after administration of long-acting recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone for controlled ovarian stimulation

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The present study aimed to determine clinical IVF parameters and gene expression in cumulus cells (CCs) in obese and normal weighting women after administration of 150 mcg of corifollitropin alfa for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).

Methods

150 mcg of corifollitropin alfa and gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist were used for COH. Analysis of CC gene expression was performed using quantitative real-time PCR.

Results

We did not find significant differences in biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates between obese and normal weighting women. Obese women required twice as much of additional gonadotropins for ovarian stimulation and had a significantly lower proportion of good quality embryos on day 5 of IVF cycle. Expression of PGR and PTX3 was significantly higher in CCs of obese women.

Conclusion

Obese women require significantly larger amounts of gonadotropins to achieve similar IVF success rates as normal weighting women. Differences in CC gene expression and smaller proportion of good quality embryos may imply that oocytes derived from obese women are of lower quality. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether obesity itself or the higher amount of gonadotropins used in obese women causes this effect.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Ivan Verdenik for performing statistical analyses and Dr. Rok Košir for performing R-based analysis.

Funding

The study was funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gynecology, Department of Human Reproduction, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slajmerjeva 3, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Tanja Burnik Papler, Eda Vrtačnik Bokal, Martin Stimpfel & Nina Jančar

  2. Center for Functional Genomics and Biochips, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Uršula Prosenc Zmrzljak

  3. BIA Separations CRO, Labena d.o.o., Teslova 30, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Uršula Prosenc Zmrzljak

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Filippo Del Ponte” Hospital, University of Insubria, Piazza Biroldi 1, 21100, Varese, Italy

    Antonio Simone Laganà & Fabio Ghezzi

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  1. Tanja Burnik Papler
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  2. Eda Vrtačnik Bokal
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  3. Uršula Prosenc Zmrzljak
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  5. Antonio Simone Laganà
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Contributions

TBP: designed the study, contributed to data analysis, and wrote the manuscript. EVB: supervised the research project and gave final approval. UPZ: performed the lab experiments. MS: collected and analysed data. ASL: contributed to data analysis and manuscript writing. FG: edited the manuscript. NJ: contributed to study design and manuscript editing. All the authors fulfil the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Simone Laganà.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Burnik Papler, T., Vrtačnik Bokal, E., Prosenc Zmrzljak, U. et al. PGR and PTX3 gene expression in cumulus cells from obese and normal weighting women after administration of long-acting recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone for controlled ovarian stimulation. Arch Gynecol Obstet 299, 863–871 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-5031-y

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