Increased responsiveness may be associated with tripronuclear embryos in both conventional in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist long protocols: a self-matched observational study

Abstract

Aims: In this self-matched observational study, the factors associated with the presence of tripronuclear (3PN) embryos, in conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist long protocols, were investigated.

Material & methods: Clinical parameters were analyzed in 202 consecutive IVF-IVF or ICSI-ICSI matched cycles. The differences between the former and latter cycles were evaluated and compared according to the presence of 3PN embryos: group A [3PN (-) followed by 3PN (-)]; group B [3PN (-) followed by 3PN (+)]; group C [3PN (+) followed by 3PN (-)]; group D [3PN (+) followed by 3PN (+)].

Results: For the IVF-IVF cycles, the E(2) on human chorionic gonadotropin injection day and the number of retrieved oocytes were increased in the 3PN (+) cycles compared to the 3PN (-) cycles of Groups B (2165.2 ± 1423.3 pg/mL vs 1468.2 ± 796.2 pg/mL, P=0.016; 10.4 ± 9.1 vs 7.2 ± 5.7, P=0.010) and C (2382.7 ± 1214.5 pg/mL vs 1553.0 ± 1119.6 pg/mL, P = 0.004; 13.1 ± 9.1 vs 9.1 ± 7.0, P < 0.001), while these outcome variables did not differ when the former and latter cycles in Groups A and D were compared. These trends were observed in the ICSI-ICSI cycles.

Conclusions: An increased responsiveness, based on the higher E(2) and greater number of retrieved oocytes, may be associated with the presence of 3PN in both conventional IVF and ICSI cycles.