OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the rate of maturation, fertilization, and embryo development of in vitro-matured human oocytes derived from pregnant and non-pregnant women. METHODS: Immature oocytes were obtained by needle aspiration from 49 pregnant women (group 1) who underwent a cesarean section at term and 77 non-pregnant women (group 2) who underwent a gynecological operation during the same period (8 months). Healthy immature oocytes (530 in group 1 and 539 in group 2) were cultured and assessed for maturation 36 hours later. Mature oocytes were inseminated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and cultured up to 144 hours. RESULTS: The percentage of degenerated oocytes was significantly higher (12.1% vs. 6.3%; p < 0.001) in group 1 than in group 2. There was no significant difference in the maturation rate (66.8% vs. 68.1%; p=0.698), fertilization rate (66.7% vs. 67.6%; p=0.857), or the rate of formation of good-quality blastocysts (46.2% vs. 47.2%; p=0.898) in oocytes obtained from pregnant and non-pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The developmental competence of immature oocytes did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Blastocyst ; Cesarean Section ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Fertilization ; Humans* ; In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques ; Mental Competency* ; Needles ; Oocytes* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

The impact of early mechanical removal of cumulus cells on fertilization and embryonic development is not yet precisely known. This study aimed to investigate the effects of early and late cumulus cell removal on fertilization, polyspermy, embryonic development potential, blastocyst development, and clinical outcomes. Methods: A prospective study was conducted of patients who underwent in vitro fertilization between September 2019 and October 2020. Sibling oocytes were randomly allocated after insemination to early cumulus cell removal at 6 hours (group I) and late cumulus cell removal at 16–18 hours (group II). If total fertilization failure (TFF) was determined to have occurred at early cumulus cell removal, rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was performed. Fertilization, embryonic development, and pregnancy outcomes were compared. Results: A total of 912 oocytes were assigned to group I (458 oocytes) and group II (454 oocytes). Fertilization, polyspermy, embryo quality, and pregnancy outcomes were not significantly different between both groups. Rescue ICSI enabled fertilization of 79.2% of the TFF oocytes. Conclusion: Early cumulus cell removal at 6 hours had no significant difference in fertilization, polyspermy, embryo development, or obstetric and perinatal outcomes compared to late removal. Early cumulus cell removal combined with early rescue ICSI may have the potential to help couples with TFF.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of conventional insemination (in vitro fertilization [IVF]) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) on the fertilization, developmental competence, implantation potential, and clinical pregnancy rate of embryos derived from in vitro matured oocytes of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: A prospective study was carried out among 38 PCOS patients who had undergone in vitro maturation (IVM) treatment. In total, 828 immature oocytes were collected from 42 cycles and randomly assigned for insemination by IVF (416 oocytes) or ICSI (412 oocytes). After fertilization, the embryos were cultured until the blastocyst stage and single embryos were transferred after endometrial preparation and under ultrasound guidance. Results: No significant differences were found in the maturation rate (78.1% vs. 72.6% for IVF and ICSI insemination, respectively; p= 0.076), fertilization rate (59.4% vs. 66.9% for IVF and ICSI insemination, respectively; p= 0.063), or the formation of good-quality blastocysts (40.9% vs. 46.5% for IVF and ICSI insemination, respectively; p= 0.314). Implantation and clinical pregnancy also did not show significant differences. Conclusion There was a comparable yield of in vitro matured oocytes derived from PCOS patients in terms of fertilization, blastocyst formation, implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy between IVF and ICSI insemination. These findings provide valuable insights for choosing assisted reproductive treatment in women with PCOS, as IVM offers promising outcomes and is less invasive and less costly.