Potential effect of inflammation on the failure risk of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer among infertile women

Abstract

This study investigated the association between inflammation in infertile women and the risk of IVF-ET failure, as well as the potential effects of various lifestyles on this association. A total of 84 women undergoing IVF-ET in Beijing China were recruited, including 38 women who did not achieve pregnancy after undergoing IVF-ET and 46 women who conceived. Serum samples were collected on the second day of menstruation before the treatment cycle and the inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)) were measured. Information about their lifestyle was collected by questionnaire. It was found that the serum IL-8 concentration in the women who did not become pregnant (cases) was significantly higher than in the women who did achieve a pregnancy (controls). A dose-response relationship between the serum IL-8 concentration and the risk of IVF-ET failure was observed, especially when the IL-8 concentration was >11.2 pg/mL. The same relationship was not found for MCP-1. Among the environmental factors investigated, only the frequency of staying up late was positively correlated with the serum IL-8 concentration, as well as positively associated with the risk of IVF-ET failure. It was concluded that excessive inflammation may have an adverse effect on the IVF-ET success rate in infertile women.