A successful twin healthy live birth achieved from eggs with a rare perivitelline space abnormality: A case report.

Background: Phenotypic dysmorphism is not rare to be found in the human oocyte, especially in the perivitelline space, which are among the most important aberration of the extra cytoplasmic component. Case Presentation: The case is of a 30-yr-old woman with no previous pregnancy, attempting an in vitro fertilization treatment for the first time. Given the extraordinary quantity of granular particles found in the perivitelline space, visible after the stripping procedure, it was not possible to establish the presence and position of the first polar body to appreciate the correct oocyte maturation (metaphase 2). Nevertheless, all the eggs were injected by the intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A time lapse incubator was used to perform the entire culture. Hence, a record of 6 days culture video was obtained. Only 2 eggs could fertilize correctly and reach the blastocyst stage on day 6. The embryos were frozen and subsequently transferred as frozen embryo transfer following the next menstrual cycle. Conclusion: The exceptional presence of granular particles in the perivitelline space, which reminds us for aspects and behavior of the granulosa cells, seems to affect the fertilization but not the blastocysts quality. As a matter of fact, the woman, after the embryo transfer, achieved a successful twin live birth.

The Polymorphism Asn680Ser on the FSH Receptor and Abnormal Ovarian Response in Patients with Normal Values of AMH and AFC.

After the controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), the number of cumulus oocyte complexes collected is lower than predicted. The aim of this study is to understand if there is a possible reason for that deficient ovarian response. It was hypothesized that this is associated with the SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) of the FSH receptor (FSHr), specifically c.2039A > G, resulting in Asn680Ser. Two groups of patients were enrolled for this purpose: the normal (n = 36) and abnormal responses (n = 31). To predict the number of retrievable oocytes, according to the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and the antral follicle count (AFC), the following formula was applied in a log scale: the number of oocytes retrieved = 2.584 − 0.015 × (age) − 0.035 × (FSH) + 0.038 × (AMH) + 0.026 × (AFC). Then, when the number of oocytes collected was less than 50% of the calculated value, it was proposed that the patients result in an abnormal response. DNA sample blood was collected from the women, and then the genetic assessment for the Asn680Ser of the FSHr was evaluated in both groups. The differences between the two categories were statistically analyzed with an independent samples t test, a Mann−Whitney U test and a Chi-squared test. In a patient with an abnormal response, a significant prevalence of the amino acid serine at position 680 of the FSHr compared to the counterpart group (p < 0.05) was detected. In conclusion, according to the results, the genetic evaluation of the FSHr could represent an accurate and predictive feature for patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment.

Sperm Selection for ICSI: Do We Have a Winner?

In assisted reproductive technology (ART), the aim of sperm cells' preparation is to select competent spermatozoa with the highest fertilization potential and in this context, the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) represents the most applied technique for fertilization. This makes the process of identifying the perfect spermatozoa extremely important. A number of methods have now been developed to mimic some of the natural selection processes that exist in the female reproductive tract. Although many studies have been conducted to identify the election technique, many doubts and disagreements still remain. In this review, we will discuss all the sperm cell selection techniques currently available for ICSI, starting from the most basic methodologies and continuing with those techniques suitable for sperm cells with reduced motility. Furthermore, different techniques that exploit some sperm membrane characteristics and the most advanced strategy for sperm selection based on microfluidics, will be examined. Finally, a new sperm selection method based on a micro swim-up directly on the ICSI dish will be analyzed. Eventually, advantages and disadvantages of each technique will be debated, trying to draw reasonable conclusions on their efficacy in order to establish the gold standard method.

A fast and safe technique for sperm preparation in ICSI treatments within a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Recently a novel method based on horizontal sperm migration in injection dishes has been introduced as an additional tool for preparation of semen sample in assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures. In the present study, we evaluated both timing and reproductive outcomes in a randomized controlled study including 1034 intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures followed by fresh embryo transfer. Couples enrolled were divided into two sub-groups, namely conventional swim-up method (Group A), and horizontal sperm migration in injection dishes (Group B).No significant differences were found between groups with respect to fertilization rate, implantation success, clinical pregnancy outcomes and ongoing pregnancies. On the contrary, both cleavage and blastocyst rates were statistically higher in Group B, suggesting superior efficiency and safety of this innovative technique also including time-saving and cheaper costs as compared to the classical swim-up sperm preparation.Our data support the interpretation of the horizontal sperm migration as a promising procedure for semen preparation in ART cycles.