Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Active, not recruiting
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT06331481 |
Other study ID # |
0005-22-HYMC |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Active, not recruiting |
Phase |
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
February 1, 2022 |
Est. completion date |
July 2024 |
Study information
Verified date |
March 2024 |
Source |
Hillel Yaffe Medical Center |
Contact |
n/a |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Observational
|
Clinical Trial Summary
Obesity is an increasing worldwide problem and a risk factor for many diseases. The effect of
obesity on female fertility has been extensively tested. Obese women have increased time to
pregnancy and remain subfertile even in the absence of ovulatory dysfunction. They present
with higher incidence of infertility compared to normal weight women.
This study is prospective observational cohort study performed between February 2022 until
June 2022 in a single university-affiliated hospital.
Description:
The effect of obesity on female fertility has been extensively tested. Obese women have
increased time to pregnancy and remain subfertile even in the absence of ovulatory
dysfunction. They present with higher incidence of infertility compared to normal weight
women. Furthermore, obesity affects the outcome of fertility treatments, resulting in
decreased ovarian response to stimulation, lower quantity and quality of oocytes, and adverse
effects on the quality of embryos including lower blastocyst formation and on the chances of
conception.
Subfertility and infertility research are aiming to find different markers that may shed
light about oocyte quality. It is known that follicular fluid is the microenvironment of the
oocyte. Both cumulus cells (CCs) and follicular fluid (FF) are critical determinants for
oocyte and reflect its quality.
The oocyte in the ovary develops with the support of cumulus and granulosa cells, which are
in close contact with her by gap junction. The oocytes are known to be unable to synthesize
their own cholesterol and have very poor glucose metabolism to produce energy. The oocytes
are supported for this purpose by cumulus and granulosa cells, and they basically reflect the
quality of the oocytes. Evaluating different markers in the follicular fluid and cumulus
cells including mitochondrial-DNA and protein that are known to be biomarkers of quality may
help us to understand the impact of obesity on oocyte quality without harming the valuable
resource.
In this study, the investigators aimed to evaluate the impact of obesity on oocyte quality
using 2 main factors reflecting oocyte quality mtDNA levels in CCs and levels of proteins
BMP-15 and HSPG2 in FFs.
Women younger than age 41 years, undergoing IVF/IVF-ICSI cycles, participated in the study.
Patients were allocated into two BMI groups (<25 and >30) based on WHO criteria to evaluate
distinctly different groups. The attending physician determined each patient's care plan
without any relation to study recruitment. At the time of ultrasound-guided transvaginal ovum
pick-up (OPU), only patients with four or more follicles were recruited. Demographic
information was recorded from the electronic medical records, including demographics and
obstetrical history (age, parity, BMI, number of previous pregnancies and abortions, prior
IVF/ICSI cycles, and biochemical and basal hormonal profile), cycle characteristics (the
stimulation protocol, endometrial thickness, and E2, LH and progesterone levels on hCG
administration day), cycle outcomes (fertilization rate, number of oocytes, transferred and
frozen embryos) and treatment outcomes (chemical and clinical pregnancy rate). Women who had
undergone fertility preservation or had comorbidities, such as endocrine disorders, cancer,
or other chronic diseases, were excluded.