[Age and fertility: value of endometrial co-cultures]

Embryo coculture system may contribute to understand the mechanisms underlying the decrease of fertility with aging. We report here our experience of coculture on maternal endometrial cells and histology of endometrial biopsy in 90 patients with repeated failures of implantation. Histology dating failed to find any age related changes. In coculture system, it is obvious that embryo viability diminishes with aging, but for equal embryonic quality, the maternal age does not interfere significantly on pregnancy rate. Anyway the number of first trimester abortions seems higher in older women. Coculture system emphasizes the major role of oocyte aging in the decrease of fertility and may be useful to establish a prognostic in IVF for older patients.