Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Does reducing gamete co-incubation time improve clinical outcomes: a retrospective study

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this retrospective study was to determine whether patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) benefit from reducing the gamete co-incubation time.

Methods

Patients (n = 570) were enrolled, including 281 patients in the reduced incubation time group (2-h incubation) and 289 patients in the standard IVF group (18-h incubation).

Results

The observed outcomes, including the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), implantation rate (IR), live birth rate (LBR), and miscarriage rate (MR), were similar between the two groups. When the data were divided into two subgroups based on the maternal age (≤30 and >30 years), the rates of top-quality embryos (30.83 vs. 25.89 %; p = 0.028), CPR (66.67 vs. 42.11 %; p = 0.013), and IR (41.90 vs. 31.25 %, p = 0.019) of the 2-h incubation group were significantly higher in the younger subgroup. However, for older patients, only a lower MR (7.59 vs. 20.83 %; p = 0.019) was achieved. Reducing the time of incubation still improved the CPR (OR = 1.993, 95 % CI 1.141–3.480) and MR (OR = 3.173, 95 % CI 1.013–9.936) in the younger and older subgroups, respectively, after it was adjusted for potential confounders.

Conclusions

Reducing incubation time improves the clinical results of IVF, although the LBR is not statistically different between the 2- and 18-h incubation time groups. And the specific clinical outcomes of reducing incubation time varied between the >30-year-old and the ≤30-year-old.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aitken J, Fisher H. Reactive oxygen species generation and human spermatozoa: the balance of benefit and risk. Bioessays. 1994;16:259–67.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dirnfeld M, Shiloh H, Bider D, Harari E, Koifman M, Lahav-Baratz S, et al. A prospective randomized controlled study of the effect of short coincubation of gametes during insemination on zona pellucida thickness. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2003;17:397–403.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bedaiwy MA, Falcone T, Mohamed MS, Aleem AA, Sharma RK, Worley SE, et al. Differential growth of human embryos in vitro: role of reactive oxygen species. Fertil Steril. 2004;82:593–600.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gianaroli L, Fiorentino A, Magli MC, Ferraretti AP, Montanaro N. Prolonged sperm-oocyte exposure and high sperm concentration affect human embryo viability and pregnancy rate. Hum Reprod. 1996;11:2507–11.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dirnfeld M, Bider D, Koifman M, Calderon I, Abramovici H. Shortened exposure of oocytes to spermatozoa improves in-vitro fertilization outcome: a prospective, randomized, controlled study. Hum Reprod. 1999;14:2562–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Kattera S, Chen C. Short coincubation of gametes in in vitro fertilization improves implantation and pregnancy rates: a prospective, randomized, controlled study. Fertil Steril. 2003;80:1017–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lundqvist M, Johansson U, Lundkvist O, Milton K, Westin C, Simberg N. Reducing the time of co-incubation of gametes in human in-vitro fertilization has no beneficial effects. Reprod Biomed Online. 2001;3:21–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Barraud-Lange V, Sifer C, Pocate K, Ziyyat A, Martin-Pont B, Porcher R, et al. Short gamete co-incubation during in vitro fertilization decreases the fertilization rate and does not improve embryo quality: a prospective auto controlled study. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2008;25:305–10.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Huang Z, Li J, Wang L, Yan J, Shi Y, Li S. Brief co-incubation of sperm and oocytes for in vitro fertilization techniques. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;4:D9391.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang XD, Liu JX, Liu WW, Gao Y, Han W, Xiong S, et al. Time of insemination culture and outcomes of in vitro fertilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update. 2013;19:685–95.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cummins JM, Breen TM, Harrison KL, Shaw JM, Wilson LM, Hennessey JF. A formula for scoring human embryo growth rates in in vitro fertilization: its value in predicting pregnancy and in comparison with visual estimates of embryo quality. J In Vitro Fert Embryo Transf. 1986;3:284–95.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Menezo Y, Barak Y. Comparison between day-2 embryos obtained either from ICSI or resulting from short insemination IVF: influence of maternal age. Hum Reprod. 2000;15:1776–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Khosla S, Dean W, Brown D, Reik W, Feil R. Culture of preimplantation mouse embryos affects fetal development and the expression of imprinted genes. Biol Reprod. 2001;64:918–26.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rivera RM, Stein P, Weaver JR, Mager J, Schultz RM, Bartolomei MS. Manipulations of mouse embryos prior to implantation result in aberrant expression of imprinted genes on day 9.5 of development. Hum Mol Genet. 2008;17:1–14.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lin SP, Lee RK, Su JT, Lin MH, Hwu YM. The effects of brief gamete co-incubation in human in vitro fertilization. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2000;17:344–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Janny L, Menezo YJ. Maternal age effect on early human embryonic development and blastocyst formation. Mol Reprod Dev. 1996;45:31–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Thouas GA, Trounson AO, Jones GM. Effect of female age on mouse oocyte developmental competence following mitochondrial injury. Biol Reprod. 2005;73:366–73.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Munne S, Alikani M, Tomkin G, Grifo J, Cohen J. Embryo morphology, developmental rates, and maternal age are correlated with chromosome abnormalities. Fertil Steril. 1995;64:382–91.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gianaroli L, Magli MC, Ferraretti AP, Fiorentino A, Garrisi J, Munne S. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis increases the implantation rate in human in vitro fertilization by avoiding the transfer of chromosomally abnormal embryos. Fertil Steril. 1997;68:1128–31.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Friedman CI, Danforth DR, Herbosa-Encarnacion C, Arbogast L, Alak BM, Seifer DB. Follicular fluid vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations are elevated in women of advanced reproductive age undergoing ovulation induction. Fertil Steril. 1997;68:607–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Van Blerkom J, Antczak M, Schrader R. The developmental potential of the human oocyte is related to the dissolved oxygen content of follicular fluid: association with vascular endothelial growth factor levels and perifollicular blood flow characteristics. Hum Reprod. 1997;12:1047–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Beerman I, Bock C, Garrison BS, Smith ZD, Gu H, Meissner A, et al. Proliferation-dependent alterations of the DNA methylation landscape underlie hematopoietic stem cell aging. Cell Stem Cell. 2013;12:413–25.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sun D, Luo M, Jeong M, Rodriguez B, Xia Z, Hannah R, et al. Epigenomic profiling of young and aged HSCs reveals concerted changes during aging that reinforce self-renewal. Cell Stem Cell. 2014;14:673–88.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Wilson VL, Smith RA, Ma S, Cutler RG. Genomic 5-methyldeoxycytidine decreases with age. J Biol Chem. 1987;262:9948–51.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Jung M, Pfeifer GP. Aging and DNA methylation. BMC Biol. 2015;13:7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81370680), the specialized research fund for the doctoral program of the Chinese Ministry of Education (20130171130009), the Natural Science Foundation of Key Research Project of Guangdong Province (2013020012660), the Medical Research Foundation of Guangdong (B2014134), and the science technology research project of Guangzhou city.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120

    Rui-Qi Li, Neng-Yong Ouyang, Song-Bang Ou, Ren-Min Ni, Mei-Qi Mai, Qing-Xue Zhang, Dong-Zi Yang & Wen-Jun Wang

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510120

    Rui-Qi Li, Neng-Yong Ouyang, Song-Bang Ou, Ren-Min Ni, Mei-Qi Mai, Qing-Xue Zhang, Dong-Zi Yang & Wen-Jun Wang

Authors
  1. Rui-Qi Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Neng-Yong Ouyang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Song-Bang Ou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ren-Min Ni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mei-Qi Mai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Qing-Xue Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Dong-Zi Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Wen-Jun Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dong-Zi Yang or Wen-Jun Wang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethics approval

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the authors’ hospital (2011ECRM NO.4), and informed consent was obtained from all participating couples.

Additional information

Capsule

Reducing the incubation time favors the clinical results of IVF, although the manifestations vary with the different age groups.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOCX 19 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 19 kb)

ESM 3

(DOCX 17 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, RQ., Ouyang, NY., Ou, SB. et al. Does reducing gamete co-incubation time improve clinical outcomes: a retrospective study. J Assist Reprod Genet 33, 33–38 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0618-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0618-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation