Abstract
Purpose: To determine whether donor oocyte cytoplasm transferred into the oocytes of women ≥40 years or with diminished ovarian reserve would enhance embryo quality, implantation, or pregnancy rates.
Methods: Study subjects included women ≥40 years (15) or with abnormal FSH levels (3). Healthy volunteers (18) produced oocytes for cryopreservation. Donor oocytes were thawed and cytoplasm from surviving oocytes was injected with a single sperm into the cytoplasm of recipient oocytes. Outcome measures included embryo quality scores, implantation, and pregnancy rates.
Results: Eighteen donors produced 213 oocytes for cryopreservation and 39/171 (22.8%) survived thawing. Eighteen recipients initiated 25 IVF cycles with embryo transfer in 20 cycles after cytoplasmic transfer (CT). Four cycles resulted in three biochemical losses and one aneuploid clinical loss. Embryo quality did not improve with CT compared to pre-CT IVF cycles in six recipients.
Conclusions: CT with cryopreserved donor oocyte cytoplasm did not enhance success in women with advanced reproductive age or low ovarian reserve.
Keywords: Age factors, cryopreservation, cytoplasmic transfer, in vitro fertilization, ovarian reserve
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