Humidified Atmosphere in a Time-lapse Embryo Culture System Does Not Improve Ongoing Pregnancy Rate: a Retrospective Propensity Score Model Study Derived from 496 First ICSI Cycles

Overview

Journal J Assist Reprod Genet

Publisher Springer

Specialties Genetics
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2023 May 3

PMID 37133689

Authors

Alessandro Bartolacci

Andrea Borini

Danilo Cimadomo

Gemma Fabozzi

Roberta Maggiulli

Cristina Lagalla

Daniela Pignataro

Miriam dellAquila

Federica Parodi

Gilda Patria

Carlotta Zaca

Filippo Maria Ubaldi

Laura Rienzi

Giovanni Coticchio

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate whether high relative humidity conditions (HC), when using a time-lapse system (TLS) with sequential culture media, are beneficial to embryo culture, improving ongoing pregnancy rates.

Methods: We included patients undergoing their first ICSI cycle treatment from April 2021 to May 2022. Patients assigned to dry conditions (DC) or HC were 278 and 218, respectively. We used a GERI TLS, three chambers configured in humidity conditions and three in dry conditions. The effect of HC on ongoing pregnancy rate was assessed by the propensity matched sample, to reduce potential differences between women undergoing either HC or DC and reduce biased estimation of treatment effect.

Result: After adjusting for several confounding variables and applying the propensity score (PS), no significant differences were observed in the rates of normal (2PN) and abnormal (1PN and 3PN) fertilization, blastulation, top-quality blastocysts, frozen blastocysts, ongoing pregnancies, and miscarriages. The 2-cell (t2) and 4-cell (t4) stages and cell divisions between such stages occurred earlier and were more synchronous in the in DC.

Conclusion: These results suggest that HC conditions do not improve the rate of ongoing pregnancy and several embryological outcomes, under the conditions used in this study based on a time-lapse system and sequential culture with day 3 medium change-over.

Citing Articles

The Task Matters: A Comprehensive Review and Proposed Literature Score of the Effects of Chemical and Physical Parameters on Embryo Developmental Competence.

Bartolacci A, Tondo F, Alteri A, Solano Narduche L, de Girolamo S, DAlessandro G Life (Basel). 2023; 13(11).

PMID: 38004301 PMC: 10671934. DOI: 10.3390/life13112161.

References

Fawzy M, Abdelrahman M, Zidan M, Abdel Hafez F, Abdelghafar H, Al-Inany H . Humid versus dry incubator: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Fertil Steril. 2017; 108(2):277-283. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2017.05.036. View

Swain J . Decisions for the IVF laboratory: comparative analysis of embryo culture incubators. Reprod Biomed Online. 2014; 28(5):535-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2014.01.004. View

Esteves S, Bento F . Implementation of air quality control in reproductive laboratories in full compliance with the Brazilian Cells and Germinative Tissue Directive. Reprod Biomed Online. 2012; 26(1):9-21. DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2012.10.010. View

Mestres E, Garcia-Jimenez M, Casals A, Cohen J, Acacio M, Villamar A . Factors of the human embryo culture system that may affect media evaporation and osmolality. Hum Reprod. 2021; 36(3):605-613. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa370. View

Scarica C, Monaco A, Borini A, Pontemezzo E, Bonanni V, De Santis L . Use of mineral oil in IVF culture systems: physico-chemical aspects, management, and safety. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2022; 39(4):883-892. PMC: 9050982. DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02479-z. View

Borini A, Bafaro M, Bianchi L, Violini F, Bonu M, Flamigni C . Oocyte donation programme: results obtained with intracytoplasmic sperm injection in cases of severe male factor infertility or previous failed fertilization. Hum Reprod. 1996; 11(3):548-50. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/11.3.548. View

. The Istanbul consensus workshop on embryo assessment: proceedings of an expert meeting. Hum Reprod. 2011; 26(6):1270-83. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/der037. View

de Los Santos M, Apter S, Coticchio G, Debrock S, Lundin K, Plancha C . Revised guidelines for good practice in IVF laboratories (2015). Hum Reprod. 2016; 31(4):685-6. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dew016. View

Kleijkers S, van Montfoort A, Bekers O, Coonen E, Derhaag J, Evers J . Ammonium accumulation in commercially available embryo culture media and protein supplements during storage at 2-8°C and during incubation at 37°C. Hum Reprod. 2016; 31(6):1192-9. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dew059. View

10.

Swain J, Carrell D, Cobo A, Meseguer M, Rubio C, Smith G . Optimizing the culture environment and embryo manipulation to help maintain embryo developmental potential. Fertil Steril. 2016; 105(3):571-587. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.01.035. View

11.

Borini A, Bonu M, Coticchio G, Bianchi V, Cattoli M, Flamigni C . Pregnancies and births after oocyte cryopreservation. Fertil Steril. 2004; 82(3):601-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.04.025. View

12.

Tarozzi N, Nadalini M, Bizzaro D, Serrao L, Fava L, Scaravelli G . Sperm-hyaluronan-binding assay: clinical value in conventional IVF under Italian law. Reprod Biomed Online. 2009; 19 Suppl 3:35-43. DOI: 10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60282-9. View

13.

Geraghty R, Capes-Davis A, Davis J, Downward J, Freshney R, Knezevic I . Guidelines for the use of cell lines in biomedical research. Br J Cancer. 2014; 111(6):1021-46. PMC: 4453835. DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2014.166. View

14.

Wale P, Gardner D . The effects of chemical and physical factors on mammalian embryo culture and their importance for the practice of assisted human reproduction. Hum Reprod Update. 2015; 22(1):2-22. DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmv034. View

15.

Valera M, Albert C, Marcos J, Larreategui Z, Bori L, Meseguer M . A propensity score-based, comparative study assessing humid and dry time-lapse incubation, with single-step medium, on embryo development and clinical outcomes. Hum Reprod. 2022; 37(9):1980-1993. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac165. View

16.

Yumoto K, Iwata K, Sugishima M, Yamauchi J, Nakaoka M, Tsuneto M . Unstable osmolality of microdrops cultured in non-humidified incubators. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2019; 36(8):1571-1577. PMC: 6707990. DOI: 10.1007/s10815-019-01515-9. View

17.

Chi H, Park J, Yoo C, Kwak S, Son H, Kim S . Effect of evaporation-induced osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator on clinical outcomes in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles. Clin Exp Reprod Med. 2020; 47(4):284-292. PMC: 7711104. DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2020.03552. View