Does timing in ICSI cycle affect oocyte quality and reproductive outcomes? A prospective study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Embryology
• Infertility Research

Background:

• Optimizing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) protocols is crucial for improving in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates.
• Understanding the impact of procedural timing on gamete and embryo quality is essential for refining IVF techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific time intervals within the ICSI cycle and oocyte morphology.
• To determine if these time intervals influence key reproductive outcomes such as fertilization and pregnancy rates.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 613 ICSI cycles was conducted.
• Time intervals were analyzed: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection to oocyte pick-up (OPU), OPU to denudation, and denudation to ICSI.
• Oocyte morphology, fertilization, cleavage, and pregnancy rates were the primary outcome measures.

Main Results:

• The hCG-OPU interval was significantly associated with increased oocyte dysmorphisms, including cytoplasmic granulation and inclusion bodies.
• OPU-denudation and denudation-ICSI intervals also showed associations with specific oocyte morphological abnormalities.
• No significant association was found between any studied time interval and fertilization, cleavage, or pregnancy rates.

Conclusions:

• While specific time intervals in ICSI, particularly hCG-OPU, can influence oocyte morphology, they do not appear to impact fertilization or clinical pregnancy outcomes.
• Further research may explore optimal timing to minimize oocyte dysmorphisms without compromising reproductive success.