Abstract
ObjectiveTo select embryos with higher implantation potential, the extended culture has been the most frequently applied strategy worldwide, and consequently leads to higher live birth rates per transfer. Sperm quality is a determining feature, and it may influence the outcomes of IVF from fertilization to embryo development. Therefore, we hypothesize that blastocyst formation may also be impaired by general semen quality.MethodsWe analyzed 4205 IVF cycles. Four study groups were designed according to semen quality: normal, mild alteration, severe alteration and epididymis. All cycles were intended to extend embryo culture until the blastocyst stage, and embryo development was evaluated.ResultsRegarding cleavage rate, the normal and mild alteration semen groups were equivalent, and the severe alteration and epididymis semen groups were equivalent to each other. The blastocyst formation rate decreased with semen quality. At least one blastocyst formed in 79.9% of cycles for the normal semen group, whereas the percentage of cycles with the formation of at least one blastocyst was slightly lower for the mild alteration (75.6%), severe alteration (76.4%) and epididymis (76.8%) semen groups. A multivariate logistic regression showed that for each additional cleaved embryo on day 3, the chance of having at least one blastocyst doubles. Additionally, the chance of having at least one blastocyst decreased when semen presented mild or severe alterations.ConclusionThe general quality of sperm is a good predictor of blastocyst formation, significantly affecting the likelihood of having at least one blastocyst at the end of the cycle. Based on our findings, it is necessary to consider general semen quality and the number of cleaved embryos when forecasting the possibility of blastocyst formation and transfer in an extended culture system.
Highlights
Extended embryo culture and transfer at the blastocyst stage is an alternative process that enables embryo selection at more advanced stages of development, increasing pregnancy rates and minimizing the risk of multiple pregnancies (Kupka et al, 2014)
There is a risk of losing embryos that do not survive until day 5 (D5), which results in lower cumulative live birth rates per couple (Maheshwari et al, 2016)
The following factors may affect the potential for an embryo to develop to the blastocyst stage: advanced maternal age (Yan et al, 2012), paternal age (Dain et al, 2011), endometriosis (Borges et al, 2015), diminished ovarian reserve (Katz-Jaffe et al, 2013) and abnormal sperm quality (Chapuis et al, 2017)
Summary
Extended embryo culture and transfer at the blastocyst stage is an alternative process that enables embryo selection at more advanced stages of development, increasing pregnancy rates and minimizing the risk of multiple pregnancies (Kupka et al, 2014). Other advantages of extended embryo culture to the blastocyst stage are the possibility of trophectoderm biopsy for genetic analysis, and the time-lapse approach for evaluating embryo development (Zheng et al, 2016). It is clear that blastocyst transfer leads to higher live birth rates per transfer. There is a risk of losing embryos that do not survive until day 5 (D5), which results in lower cumulative live birth rates per couple (Maheshwari et al, 2016). The following factors may affect the potential for an embryo to develop to the blastocyst stage: advanced maternal age (Yan et al, 2012), paternal age (Dain et al, 2011), endometriosis (Borges et al, 2015), diminished ovarian reserve (Katz-Jaffe et al, 2013) and abnormal sperm quality (Chapuis et al, 2017)
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