Cell-free dna in human follicular fluid as biomarker for intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedure outcome

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Follicular fluid (FF) is considered as an important microenvironment for oocyte development. Cellfree DNA (cfDNA) fragments that are found in this fluid and are released from cell apoptosis and/or necrosis. AIM: This study aimed to quantify the level of cfDNA, in the FF, and to assess any relationship between the level of cfDNA in this fluid with women’s age, duration of infertility, cause of infertility, and her ovarian reserve values. METHODS: Eighty-nine women were prospectively included in this study FF cfDNA, which was determined by conventional real-time PCR-SYBR green detection approach which quantified by ALU-specific primers. RESULTS: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) level in FF samples of Iraqi women level was cfDNA (Mean ± SD, 0.916 ± 0.106 ng/μl). There was no significant relation between cfDNA and pregnancy outcome, but very low level and very high level cfDNA were related to negative pregnancy outcome, cfDNA was the second most important predictive factor of pregnancy outcome after fertilization rate, but both not statistically significant p-values were 0.622 and 0.241, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study notices that cfDNA in the FF may mainly reflect the cellular activity and the balance between programmed apoptosis and cell necrosis.