Effect of HSA concentration on intrauterine insemination (IUI) outcomes

Abstract

ObjectiveTo compare pregnancy rates (PR) using higher concentration of human serum albumin (HSA) to supplement sperm wash medium for IUIs.DesignProspective cohort study.Materials and MethodsThe cohort included all IUI cycles, (natural, clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins) and seminal parameters. Semen was centrifuged through PureCeption 90% isotonic silica gradient and the pellet was washed twice with Quinn's Advantage HEPES-buffered HTF medium supplemented with HSA. For the first series of IUIs (group I) 10% HSA was used, while for the second series of IUIs (group II) 20% HSA was used. The final pellet was resuspended to 0.5 mL of the same medium.ResultsTabled 1Group I and group II parameters and PRsgroup Igroup IIHSA concentration10%20%# couples10084# cycles180112female mean age33.833.6% natural cycles8.33%10.71%% clomiphene cycles51.67%55.36%% gonadotropin stimulated cycles40%33.93%Pregnancies3234PR17.8%30.3%P value0.01 Open table in a new tab ConclusionSupplementation of sperm wash medium with 20% HSA during IUI preparation increases overall PR to 30.3% compared to 17.8% when 10% HSA is used (Table 1). This overall improvement was statistically significant and noted regardless of type of treatment (i.e. natural and stimulated cycles). A PR increase was recorded in clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin stimulated cycles, although the N of these subgroups in the study precluded this observation from reaching statistical significance. ObjectiveTo compare pregnancy rates (PR) using higher concentration of human serum albumin (HSA) to supplement sperm wash medium for IUIs. To compare pregnancy rates (PR) using higher concentration of human serum albumin (HSA) to supplement sperm wash medium for IUIs. DesignProspective cohort study. Prospective cohort study. Materials and MethodsThe cohort included all IUI cycles, (natural, clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins) and seminal parameters. Semen was centrifuged through PureCeption 90% isotonic silica gradient and the pellet was washed twice with Quinn's Advantage HEPES-buffered HTF medium supplemented with HSA. For the first series of IUIs (group I) 10% HSA was used, while for the second series of IUIs (group II) 20% HSA was used. The final pellet was resuspended to 0.5 mL of the same medium. The cohort included all IUI cycles, (natural, clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins) and seminal parameters. Semen was centrifuged through PureCeption 90% isotonic silica gradient and the pellet was washed twice with Quinn's Advantage HEPES-buffered HTF medium supplemented with HSA. For the first series of IUIs (group I) 10% HSA was used, while for the second series of IUIs (group II) 20% HSA was used. The final pellet was resuspended to 0.5 mL of the same medium. ResultsTabled 1Group I and group II parameters and PRsgroup Igroup IIHSA concentration10%20%# couples10084# cycles180112female mean age33.833.6% natural cycles8.33%10.71%% clomiphene cycles51.67%55.36%% gonadotropin stimulated cycles40%33.93%Pregnancies3234PR17.8%30.3%P value0.01 Open table in a new tab ConclusionSupplementation of sperm wash medium with 20% HSA during IUI preparation increases overall PR to 30.3% compared to 17.8% when 10% HSA is used (Table 1). This overall improvement was statistically significant and noted regardless of type of treatment (i.e. natural and stimulated cycles). A PR increase was recorded in clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin stimulated cycles, although the N of these subgroups in the study precluded this observation from reaching statistical significance. Supplementation of sperm wash medium with 20% HSA during IUI preparation increases overall PR to 30.3% compared to 17.8% when 10% HSA is used (Table 1). This overall improvement was statistically significant and noted regardless of type of treatment (i.e. natural and stimulated cycles). A PR increase was recorded in clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin stimulated cycles, although the N of these subgroups in the study precluded this observation from reaching statistical significance.