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Could empirical low-dose-aspirin administration during IVF cycle affect both the oocytes and embryos quality via COX 1–2 activity inhibition?

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Abstract

Purpose

To compare qualitative and quantitative ovarian response in idiopathic infertile women treated with low-dose-aspirin (LDA) during in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) cycles (pl) versus untreated ones.

Methods

We conducted an observational-cohort-study on normo-responders patients aged between 25 and 45 years referred to Assisted-Reproductive Unit - University of Padua – in order to evaluate the ovarian response effects (both qualitative and quantitative) after LDA administration. In detail we aim to assess if LDA administration could improve ovarian response, reducing the gonadotropin administration, and if its administration could increase the amount of follicles greater than 16 mm at pick-up, the amount and quality of oocytes retrieved, the amount and quality of embryos, the chance to achieve a pregnancy and to carry it on.

Results

One hundred six LDA-treated patients (Group-A) and 100 not-treated ones (Group-B) were homogeneous for age and BMI. The Group-A, compared to Group-B, showed higher gonadotropin request, higher number of ovarian follicles at pick-up, more follicles bigger than 16 mm in diameter and more retrieved oocytes (despite higher number of immature and at germinal vesicle stage oocytes) but lower quality of obtained embryos. The comparison between two Groups in term of retrieved oocytes /number of follicles, mature oocytes/retrieved oocytes, fertilized oocytes/mature oocytes and good embryos quality/mature oocytes showed a strongly advantageous ratio for Group-B. For each considered outcome, we found a dose-related effect.

Conclusions

It is mandatory to define which patients could benefit from LDA administration and the adequate timing to administer it since the empirical administration could negatively affect both oocyte and embryo quality during IVF cycles.

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Conflict of interests

All Authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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All Authors declare they have no funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Salvatore Gizzo, Denise Capuzzo, Cecilia Zicchina, Stefania Di Gangi, Maria Lia Coronella, Alessandra Andrisani, Michele Gangemi & Giovanni Battista Nardelli

  2. Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, U.O.C. di Ginecologia e Ostetricia, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padova, Italy

    Salvatore Gizzo

Authors
  1. Salvatore Gizzo
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  2. Denise Capuzzo
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  3. Cecilia Zicchina
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  4. Stefania Di Gangi
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  5. Maria Lia Coronella
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  6. Alessandra Andrisani
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  7. Michele Gangemi
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Correspondence to Salvatore Gizzo.

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Capsule Empirical LDA administration during IVF cycles could potentially affect both qualitative and quantitative ovarian response via COX-2 activity inhibition.

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Gizzo, S., Capuzzo, D., Zicchina, C. et al. Could empirical low-dose-aspirin administration during IVF cycle affect both the oocytes and embryos quality via COX 1–2 activity inhibition?. J Assist Reprod Genet 31, 261–268 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-014-0174-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-014-0174-7

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