Embryo Transfer, Fertility Disorders, Infertility Treatment, IVF
Conditions
Keywords
cervix, mucus, endometrium, receptivity, biomarker, proteomics, infertility, in-vitro, fertilisation
Brief summary
Analysis of proteins from cervical mucus will be done in patients undergoing infertility treatment (fresh or frozen embryo transfer). Cervical mucus will be analysed for potential new biomarkers of endometrium receptivity. Comparison of the peptide spectrum will be done for the pregnant and not pregnant patients.
Detailed description
Successful implantation depends on synchronization between a normal functional embryo at the blastocyst developmental stage and a receptive endometrium. The endometrium is receptive to blastocysts during a spatially and temporally restricted time window called the "window of implantation". Failure of the endometrium to attain receptivity is one cause of infertility, and this is not currently assessed during infertility workup due to a lack of reliable markers for receptivity. Better tests are required to assist the clinician with the decision when to defer a transfer and to freeze all embryos. Proteomics, or the analysis of the proteins in any sample, provides physiologically relevant information, since there are many regulatory steps between the transcriptome and functional proteins. Uterine fluid is a protein-rich histotroph that contains, among other components, secretions from the endometrial glands and cleavage products of both the secreted proteins and the glycocalyx. The aim of this study is to assess the highly sensitive mass spectrometer analysis of the proteins from cervical mucus for the detection of defects in endometrial receptivity and search for new endometrial receptivity biomarkers.
Interventions
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTCervical mucus will be collected from patients undergoing IVF
Patients undergoing hormonal stimulation for IVF will be sampled for cervical mucus.
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTCervical mucus will be collected from patients undergoing transfer of cryopreserved embryos
Patients undergoing hormonal substitution for transfer of cryopreserved embryos will be sampled for cervical mucus.
Sponsors
The Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Czech Republic
University Hospital Olomouc
Brno University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
No minimum to 36 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
- Arm A - stimulated cycle: * female aged less than 37 years (maximally 36y + 364d) * no smoker * normal menstrual cycles lasting between 25 to 35 days * had been infertile for less than five years * normal responder * fewer than three failed cycles of assisted reproduction treatment, including fresh IVF/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) embryo transfer cycles and/or frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles * sperm obtained through ejaculation * spermiogram more than 5 million sperm/mL * BMI 19-29 kg/m2 * follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) \< 10 IU/L on the third day * basal antral follicle count of 5-15 * undergoing the same routine gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) long depot or gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant.) protocol * informed consent
Exclusion criteria
- Arm A - stimulated cycle: * genetic disease * metabolic and/or endocrine disorders * polycystic ovary syndrome (defined by the Rotterdam criteria) * women with prior diagnosis of endometriosis or adenomyosis * previous gynecological/pelvic surgery except for salpingectomy * repeated spontaneous abortions (two or more) * previously less than 5 oocytes and/or serum anti-Mullerian hormone value \< 1.0 mIU/ml or more than 20 oocytes, milli-International unit (mIU) * previous ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) * presence of any structural abnormality of the reproductive system * donor oocyte cycles * severe male factor infertility \< 5 million sperm/mL * low response to stimulation * endometrium \< 8 mm at the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or ET * number of retrieved oocytes 5 - 20 * low fertilization capacity (rate of fertilization \< 20% and late ICSI following IVF fertilization failure) * OHSS * IVF cycle cancelled before ET * other than easy one high-quality blastocyst transfer (at least grade 3BB) Inclusion criteria - Arm B - substituted cycle: * female aged less than 37 years (maximally 36y + 364d) * no smoker * normal menstrual cycles lasting between 25 to 35 days * had been infertile for less than five years * normal responder at stimulation * fewer than three failed cycles of assisted reproduction treatment, including fresh IVF/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) embryo transfer cycles and/or frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles * sperm obtained through ejaculation * spermiogram more than 5 million sperm/mL * BMI 19-29 kg/m2 * FSH \< 10 IU/L on the third day * undergoing the same routine estrogen/progesterone substituted cycle * informed consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mass spectrometer analysis of the proteins from cervical mucus | 48 months | Highly sensitive mass analysis of the proteins from cervical mucus on Thermo Orbitrap Elite instrument for all collected samples. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison of the protein analysis between the pregnant and not pregnant patients | 48 months | Comparison of the protein analysis (qualitative and quantitative) will be done between the pregnant and not pregnant patients. Pregnant patients will be followed-up until child delivery. |
| Detection of the new endometrial receptivity biomarkers. | 48 months | Proteomic endometrial receptivity biomarkers will be detected based on the analysis of measured data in relation to the successful implantation. |
Countries
Czechia
Contacts
CONTACTRadovan Pilka, Prof.MD.PhD.
CONTACTPetr Dzubak, MD.PhD.
STUDY_DIRECTORMarian Hajduch, MD.PhD.
Palacky University in Olomouc, Faculty of Medicine and Dentristry
Outcome results
None listed