Effect of prior female SARS-CoV-2 infection on IVF outcomes: a prospective cohort study

Jialyu Huang; Yuxin Liu; Leizhen Xia; Yan Zhao; Lifeng Tian; Dingfei Xu; Qiong Su; Yina Hu; Qiqi Xie; Jia Chen; Yunjun Li; Xiaoyan Ai; Jiawei Wang; Qiongfang Wu

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1239903

Effect of prior female SARS-CoV-2 infection on IVF outcomes: a prospective cohort study

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Oct 4:14:1239903. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1239903. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jialyu Huang¹, Yuxin Liu², Leizhen Xia¹, Yan Zhao¹, Lifeng Tian¹, Dingfei Xu¹, Qiong Su¹, Yina Hu¹, Qiqi Xie¹, Jia Chen¹, Yunjun Li¹, Xiaoyan Ai³, Jiawei Wang⁴, Qiongfang Wu¹

Affiliations

¹ Center for Reproductive Medicine, Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jiangxi Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China.
² Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Queen Mary, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
³ Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jiangxi Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China.
⁴ Reproductive and Genetic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.

Abstract

Introduction: The clinical impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human reproduction remains controversial. This prospective cohort study aimed to assess the effect of prior female SARS-CoV-2 infection on subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes.

Materials and methods: A total of 451 women who underwent fresh IVF treatment between December 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023 were included from an academic fertility center. Participants were divided into the infected group if they had a prior COVID-19 history before cycle initiation (n = 252), while the control group were those uninfected (n = 199). The primary outcomes were the number of oocytes retrieved and clinical pregnancy rate after fresh embryo transfer. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to control for potential confounders.

Results: The number of oocytes retrieved (11.4 ± 8.3 vs. 11.6 ± 7.7; P = 0.457) and clinical pregnancy rate (70.3% vs. 73.7%; P = 0.590) were similar between infected and uninfected groups, with a fully adjusted β coefficient of 0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.14-0.13) and odds ratio of 0.64 (95% CI: 0.20-2.07), respectively. Consistently, the two groups were comparable in cycle characteristics as well as other laboratory and pregnancy parameters. In both subgroup analyses and restricted cubic splines, different post-infection time intervals to IVF cycle initiation showed no significant associations with treatment outcomes.

Conclusion: Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in females had no adverse influence on subsequent IVF treatment, regardless of the time interval following infection. Our findings provide reassurance for infected women planning for assisted reproduction. Additional prospective cohort studies with larger datasets and longer follow-up are required to confirm the conclusion.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; in vitro fertilization; infection; pregnancy.

MeSH terms

Birth Rate*
COVID-19* / complications
COVID-19* / therapy
Female
Fertilization in Vitro
Humans
Ovulation Induction
Pregnancy
Prospective Studies
Retrospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82260315), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20224BAB216025), and Central Funds Guiding the Local Science and Technology Development (20221ZDG020071).