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Homocysteine serum levels correlate with the number of failed IVF cycles even when within normal range

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Repeated implantation failure is a common challenge in daily practice. Homocysteine and vitamin B12 have been associated with reproductive processes among patients undergoing in vitro fertilization; however, their involvement in repeated implantation failure has not been assessed. We explored possible associations of serum homocysteine and vitamin B12 with repeated implantation failure.

Material and methods

A retrospective analysis of 127 women who underwent ≥ 3 unsuccessful embryo transfers during 2005–2016, at the Fertility and In Vitro Fertilization Unit at Carmel Medical Center. After at least 3 IVF failures serum levels of homocysteine and vitamin B12 were measured.

Results

The mean patient age was 33.5 ± 5.2 years. The mean number of embryo transfers was 4.6 ± 1.5. The mean total cumulative number of embryos transferred was 10.4 ± 5.2. Mean serum levels of homocysteine were 8.6 ± 3.7 µM/L, and of vitamin B12 were 302.5 ± 155.3 pg/ml. Homocysteine levels were within the normal range (< 14 µM/L) in 95.8% of the patients. Yet, the levels of homocysteine correlated with both the number of failed embryo transfers (r = 0.34, p = 0.004) and the total cumulative number of transferred embryos (r = 0.36, p = 0.002).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest an association between serum homocysteine levels and the occurrence of repeated implantation failure, even when homocystein levels were within the normal range. It should be studied whether nutritional supplementation to modulate serum homocysteine levels may improve treatment outcome.

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Data availability

All data and study materials are available if needed.

Abbreviations

RIF:

Repeated implantation failure

IVF:

In vitro fertilization

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Funding

The study was not founded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fertility and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carmel Medical Center, The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, 7 Michal St., Haifa, Israel

    Nufar Frenkel Manzur, Ido Feferkorn, Sivan Skvirsky & Zofnat Wiener-Megnazi

  2. Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Sava, Israel

    Hadar Gluska

  3. Zefat Academic College, Safed, Israel

    Izhar Ben-Shlomo

Authors
  1. Nufar Frenkel Manzur
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  2. Hadar Gluska
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  3. Ido Feferkorn
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  4. Sivan Skvirsky
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  5. Izhar Ben-Shlomo
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  6. Zofnat Wiener-Megnazi
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Contributions

NF-M: Acquisition of data, Statistical analysis. HG: Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. IF: Analysis and Interpretation of data. SL-B: Analysis and Interpretation of data. IB-S: Supervision, Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. ZW-M: Conception and design of the manuscript, Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content.

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Correspondence to Zofnat Wiener-Megnazi.

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Manzur, N.F., Gluska, H., Feferkorn, I. et al. Homocysteine serum levels correlate with the number of failed IVF cycles even when within normal range. Arch Gynecol Obstet 307, 1975–1982 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-06972-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-06972-3

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