Immature oocyte incidence: contributing factors and effects on mature sibling oocytes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate which factors contribute to the incidence of immature oocytes (germinal vesicle-GV-and metaphase I-MI-) and how they impact the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes of sibling mature oocytes. Methods: Data from 3,920 cycles performed from June/2010 to August/2016 in a private university-affiliated IVF center were evaluated for the influence of controlled ovarian stimulation protocol (COS) on immature oocytes incidence and its effects on ICSI outcomes. Results: MI (p=0.004) and GV (p=0.029) number were negatively correlated with gonadotropin dose. Patients stimulated by rFSH had increased GV/oocyte rate in both GnRH agonists (p<0.001) and antagonist (p=0.042) protocols, in comparison to rFSH associated with rLH protocol. MI and GV/oocyte rates were negatively correlated to fertilization (p<0.001), high-quality embryo on da p<0.001; GV/oocyte p=0.033) and pregnancy (MI/oocyte p=0.002; GV/oocyte p=0.013) rates. Cycles above a 10.5% MI/oocyte cut-off were correlated to higher response to ovarian stimulation, poor embryo development and almost two times lower pregnancy rate. Immature oocyte incidence is affected by COS and impacts on ICSI outcomes. Conclusion: Our evidence suggests that oocytes derived from a cohort with high incidence of maturation fail may have detrimental clinical outcomes.