In a nutshell
This study looked at insulin-like growth factors to see if they play a role in pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Some background
In IVF, a male sperm fertilizes the females’ egg in a laboratory dish outside the body, and doctors implant it into the woman's uterus. It is often used in infertility, but is not always successful. Methods for understanding the reasons behind the success or failure of an IVF cycle would be beneficial.
Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) are proteins involved in growth and development of a fetus. It is thought that the levels of these proteins can affect whether a woman will have a live birth.
Methods & findings
This study examined whether insulin-like growth factors predicted the outcomes in IVF.
226 women who underwent IVF were included in this study. Two types of IGF (I and II) were looked at in this study, along with a binding protein that carries them in the blood. IGF was measured on day 2 of the IVF cycle, before the eggs were retrieved.
54 women had a live baby, 38 had a positive pregnancy test but no further development. 45 had a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) and 54 did not become pregnant. 35 woman had an ectopic pregnancy where the fetus grew outside the womb.
Overall, the women who had a live baby were younger (average 36 years) than the women who did not become pregnant or had a spontaneous abortion (average 39 years).
The average level of IGF-I was higher (29.1 ng/ml) in women who had a live birth compared to those who did not (4.2-25.6ng/ml), including women who did not get pregnant.
The average level of the binding protein was also higher (23.6 ng/ml) in those who had a live baby compared to those who did not (9.5-18.3 ng/ml). In women over 40 years the difference in binding protein levels did not play a significant role in the outcome.
The average levels of IGF II were lower in women who had a live baby (294.5 ng/ml) compared to those who did not (357.53-426.9 ng/ml).
The bottom line
This study concluded that the IGF levels and their binding protein may help predict pregnancy outcomes.
The fine print
In this study the researchers looked back at data already collected, so there may have been information they were unable to get or control for.
What’s next?
Talk to your physician if you would like more information on this test before attempting in vitro fertilization.
Published By :
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Date :
Apr 29, 2015
