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Published on: May 27, 2022
Results of assisted reproductive technique in men with cystic fibrosis
Dominique Hubert1, Catherine Patrat, Juliette Guibert
1Centre de Ressources et de Compétences pour la Mucoviscidose - Service de Pneumologie, Paris, France.
Insights
Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) offer hope for men with cystic fibrosis (CF) to father children. Careful counseling and multidisciplinary care are essential due to health status and survival considerations.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Genetics
- Cystic Fibrosis Research
Background:
- Cystic Fibrosis (CF) frequently causes male sterility, necessitating fertility solutions.
- A collaborative network of CF centers and reproductive medicine units was established to address ART needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) for men with cystic fibrosis (CF).
- To assess the feasibility of sperm retrieval and subsequent fertilization in infertile men with CF.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 25 men with CF undergoing ART between 1994 and 2004.
- Monitoring of clinical status, semen analysis, CF mutations, and ART outcomes (AID, ICSI).
- Surgical sperm retrieval was performed for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Main Results:
- All CF patients presented with azoospermia.
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) resulted in a 63% pregnancy rate (12/19 couples).
- Successful deliveries included single births, twins, and consideration of adoption and spontaneous pregnancies.
Conclusions:
- Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) can successfully enable fatherhood for men with CF.
- Multidisciplinary medical care and thorough patient counseling are crucial due to CF-related health challenges and survival rates.
Background:
Sterility in men with cystic fibrosis (CF) raises the question of the use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). A multidisciplinary network including adult CF centre and reproductive medicine units was set up to answer requests for ART.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 25 men with CF between 1994 and 2004. Clinical status, semen analysis, CF mutations analysis and artificial insemination by donor (AID) or ICSI after surgical retrieval of sperm were monitored.
Results:
All CF men had azoospermia. Two chose AID first (one delivery); 23 chose ICSI. Sperm were surgically retrieved in 21 cases, and ICSI was performed in 19. Pregnancies occurred in 12 of these 19 couples (63%) (two ectopic pregnancies, two spontaneous abortions, one termination of pregnancy for polymalformed twins and 11 single deliveries in nine couples). Two couples tried AID after ICSI failed; one had twins. Another adopted a child, and two had a spontaneous pregnancy. After a follow-up of 4.1+/-2.3 years, two patients died, two underwent lung transplantation and 21 remained stable.
Conclusion:
ART can help men with CF to become a father, but their health status and short survival need careful counselling and multidisciplinary medical care.
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