Are human embryo morphokinetics affected by semen quality?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Time-Lapse Analysis in Human IVF treatment: does semen quality affect embryo morphokinetics?
IRAS ID
134757
Contact name
Sunayna Best
Contact email
Research summary
Background: Time lapse analysis is proposed to increase IVF success rates. Time lapse involves taking pictures of embryos every fifteen minutes so that subtle changes in embryonic development can be detected. This includes the embryo’s appearance (morphology) and the timing of development (kinetics). Morphokinetics has been proposed as a predictor of embryo viability. However, which factors are associated with viability and affect morphokinetics require further understanding.
Semen quality can be assessed using manual semen analysis assessing semen liquefaction; sperm count; motility and morphology; CASA semen analysis (computer assisted) and DNA fragmentation. Although the CASA system generates large amounts of semen data, the clinical significance of this data is not yet understood.
Sperm genetic quality can be assessed using sperm DNA fragmentation levels. It has been shown that increasing levels of sperm DNA fragmentation are associated with decreased fertilization and pregnancy rates, and measuring it has strong prognostic potential for IVF success.
Study design: Blind prospective study of all patients undergoing routine IVF treatment at a private IVF clinic using time-lapse analysis to assess embryo morphokinetics.
Objective: A) To determine whether different semen parameters affect embryo morphokinetics.
To determine whether lifestyle factors affect B) semen quality and C) morphokinetics.
Methods: Patients recruited at an IVF clinic will undergo normal treatment using time-lapse incubation with an Embryoscope™ incubator. Sperm samples will be assessed manually, using CASA and for DNA fragmentation. All semen data will be compared to morphokinetic data generated by the time-lapse analysis. A lifestyle questionnaire will be given to all male patients and correlated with levels of semen quality.
Hypothesis:
A)i) Embryos derived from sperm with high DNA fragmentation will have slower morphokinetics compared with embryos with low levels of DNA fragmentation.
ii) Other semen parameters will also be predictive of morphokinetics.
Lifestyle factors affect B)semen quality and C) morphokinetics.REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0606
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion