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Decreased pregnancy and live birth rates after vitrification of in vitro matured oocytes

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Abstract

Purpose

To assess effects on fertilization rate, embryo quality, pregnancy, and live birth rates of vitrification and warming of oocytes that matured in vitro (vIVM) compared to fresh in vitro maturation (fIVM) cycles.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study conducted at a university hospital-affiliated IVF unit. Fifty-six cycles of vIVM cycles and 263 fIVM in women diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) ovaries were included in the analysis. The study group included PCOS patients who failed ovulation induction with intrauterine insemination and were offered IVM cycle followed by oocyte vitrification and warming. The embryological aspects and clinical outcomes were compared to those of controls undergoing fresh IVM cycles during the same period. The main outcome measure was live birth rate.

Results

One thousand seventy oocytes were collected from 56 patients and underwent vitrification and warming. In the control group, 4781 oocytes were collected from 219 patients who had undergone a fresh IVM cycle. Oocyte maturation rates were similar between the groups (mean ± SD: 0.7 ± 0.2 vs. 0.6 ± 0.2, for vIVM and fIVM, respectively). Survival rate after warming was 59.8%. Fertilization and embryo cleavage rates per oocyte were significantly lower in the vIVM group. Clinical pregnancy (10.7 vs. 36.1%) and live birth rates (8.9 vs. 25.9%) per cycle were significantly lower in the vIVM group than those in the fIVM group (P = 0.005 and P < 0.001, respectively). Five healthy babies were born in the vIVM group.

Conclusions

The reproductive potential of vitrified IVM oocytes is impaired. This injury likely occurs through vitrification and warming.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, McGill University Health Care Centre, 888 Boulevard de Maisonneuve E no. 200, Montreal, QC, H2L 4S8, Canada

    Yoni Cohen, Alexandra St-Onge-St-Hilaire, Samer Tannus, Grace Younes, Michael H. Dahan, William Buckett & Weon-Young Son

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  1. Yoni Cohen
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  2. Alexandra St-Onge-St-Hilaire
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  3. Samer Tannus
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  4. Grace Younes
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  5. Michael H. Dahan
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  6. William Buckett
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  7. Weon-Young Son
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoni Cohen.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by the institutional review board of McGill University Health Center (IRB:13-409-SDR).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Cohen, Y., St-Onge-St-Hilaire, A., Tannus, S. et al. Decreased pregnancy and live birth rates after vitrification of in vitro matured oocytes. J Assist Reprod Genet 35, 1683–1689 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-018-1216-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-018-1216-3

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