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Human immunodeficiency type-1 virus (HIV-1) infection in serodiscordant couples (SDCs) does not have an impact on embryo quality or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcome.

Melo MA, Meseguer M, Bellver J, Remohí J, Pellicer A, Garrido N

Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the embryo quality in our program for human immunodeficiency type-1 virus (HIV-1) serodiscordant couples (SDCs) with the male infected in comparison with a tubal-factor infertility control group. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. SETTING: Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain. PATIENT(S): Thirty SDC and 79 control couples without HIV-1 infection attending for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Only first cycles were considered. INTERVENTION(S): Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and ICSI in both groups; sperm wash, nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in semen sample, and capacitation by swim-up after thawing the semen sample in the SDC group; and sperm capacitation by swim-up after thawing the semen sample in the control group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): ICSI procedure and embryo characteristics (fertilization, cleavage, embryo morphology, and development) and cycle outcome (ongoing pregnancy and miscarriage rates). RESULT(S): Fertilization and cleavage rates were similar between the groups. On days 2 and 3 of embryo development, very similar embryo features were found between the groups. There was no difference in mean number of optimal embryos on day 3. When embryos were cultured up to 5-6 days, a significant increase in embryo blockage was found in the SDC group compared with the control group. The mean number of optimal blastocysts on day 6 was comparable in both groups. No difference was found regarding the number of cryopreserved and transferred embryos or implantation, pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, or miscarriage rates between the groups. CONCLUSION(S): HIV-1 infection in SDCs with infected males does not appear to have a significantly negative impact on embryo development or ICSI outcome.

Published 14 January 2008 in Fertil Steril, 89(1): 141-50.
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