DOES ADMINISTRATION OF PREDNISOLONE TO ANTI-CENTROMERE ANTIBODY-POSITIVE PATIENTS IMPROVE OOCYTE MATURATION AND FERTILIZATION RATES AFTER OVUM PICKUP AND INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION?

Abstract

It has been reported that anti-nuclear antibody (ANA)-positive patients have a lower oocyte maturation rate after ovum pickup (OPU). In particular, patients with positive anti-centromere antibodies (ACA), a member of the ANA family, are more likely to have a lower oocyte maturation rate and abnormal fertilization rate. Previous reports showed that administration of prednisolone in ANA-positive patients improved intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes. However, its effects in ACA-positive patients are unknown.