Bioaccumulation of Non-Essential Trace Elements Detected in Women's Follicular Fluid, Urine, and Plasma Is Associated with Poor Reproductive Outcomes following Single Euploid Embryo Transfer: A Pilot Study.

Autors de IIS La Fe

• Andrea Palomar Rios

  Autor

• Roberto González Martín

  Autor

• Alicia Quiñonero Villora

  Autor

• Nuria Pellicer De Castellvi

  Autor

• Francisco Domínguez Hernández

  Autor

Autors aliens a IIS La Fe

• Fernandez-Saavedra R
• Rucandio I
• Fernandez-Martinez R
• Conde-Vilda E
• Quejido AJ
• Zuckerman C
• Whitehead C
• Scott RT

Grups d'Investigació

• Biología Reproductiva y Bioingeniería en Reproducción Humana

  

  Leader

  Nicolás Garrido Puchalt

• Medicina Reproductiva

  

  Investigador Principal

  José Morales Roselló

Abstract

This study aims to determine the association of non-essential trace elements present in follicular fluid, plasma, and urine with reproductive outcomes of women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) and single frozen euploid embryo transfer (SET/FET). This single-center, prospective cohort study included sixty women undergoing ICSI with PGT-A and SET/FET between 2018 and 2019. Urine, plasma and follicular fluid samples were collected on the vaginal oocyte retrieval day to simultaneously quantify ten non-essential trace elements (i.e., Ba, Sr, Rb, Sn, Ti, Pb, Cd, Hg, Sb, and As). We found several associations between the levels of these non-essential trace elements and clinical IVF parameters. Specifically, the increased levels of barium in follicular fluid were negatively associated with ovarian function, pre-implantation development and embryo euploidy, while elevated strontium concentrations in this biofluid were negatively associated with impaired blastulation and embryo euploidy. Elevated plasma strontium levels were negatively associated with ovarian function, fertilization and blastulation. Enhanced presence of other trace elements in plasma (i.e., rubidium and arsenic) were associated with a diminished ovarian function and limited the number of recovered oocytes, mature oocytes and zygotes, respectively. Fully adjusted models suggested significantly lower odds of achieving a live birth when increased concentrations of barium and tin were found in urine.

Keywords

• IVF outcomes; biofluids; infertility; live birth; non-essential trace elements; ovarian response