Decreased factor XII activity is associated with recurrent IVF-ET failure

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Hematology
• Coagulation Science

Background:

• Recurrent pregnancy loss is associated with decreased factor XII (FXII) activity.
• Recurrent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failure shares similarities with early pregnancy loss.
• The role of FXII activity in IVF-ET failure is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether women with recurrent IVF-ET failure exhibit reduced FXII activity.
• To compare FXII activity in women with recurrent IVF-ET failure to those with recurrent miscarriage and controls.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples from 110 women with at least three IVF-ET failures were analyzed.
• FXII activity was measured using an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) assay.
• Coagulation parameters and autoantibodies were also assessed and compared with 191 recurrent miscarriage patients and 87 controls.

Main Results:

• Women with recurrent IVF-ET failure showed significantly lower FXII activity compared to controls (P < 0.001).
• FXII activity in the IVF-ET failure group was also lower than in the recurrent pregnancy loss group.
• FXII activity correlated positively with age but not with other tested parameters.

Conclusions:

• Decreased FXII activity is prevalent in women experiencing recurrent IVF-ET failure.
• Reduced FXII activity may be a contributing factor to reproductive failure in this population.
• Further research is warranted to explore the causal relationship between FXII activity and IVF-ET outcomes.