Cell-free DNA in plasma and total follicular fluid as a biomarker for predicting IVF/ICSI

Fatemeh Mehrabi¹ Nasrin Moghadami² Fatemehsadat Hoseini³ Shiva Ebrahimi⁴ Samaneh Haji Mohammad Bagher⁵ Ahmad Ebrahimi⁶

1) Fellowship of Infertility, Infertility Center of Tehran YAS Hospital, Medical Science of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2) Associated Professor of TUMS YAS Hospital Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Tehran, Iran.
3) Assisant Professor of Reproductive Biology, Infertility Center of Tehran Yas Hospital, Medicine School of Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
4) Department of Biology٫ Central Tehran Branch٫ Islamic Azad University٫ Tehran, Iran.
5) Master of Medical Engineering (Bioelectric), Member of Research Assistant of Medical Sciences University, Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.
6) Molecular Genetics, PhD Assistant Professor Cellular and Molecular Research Centre Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran, Iran.

Publication : 1st conference on engineering & innovation - University of Tabriz(ncoei.ir)
Abstract :
BACKGROUND: Nowadays cell-free DNA fragments (cfDNA), discovered in blood and in other biological samples, is utilized as biomarker for the diagnosis of many diseases like some cancers and disorders in obstetrics and gynecology. In this report, we have analyzed if cfDNA levels in plasms and total follicular fluid samples from in vitro fertilization (IVF) candidates, could be associated to IVF outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety-eight plasms and total follicular fluid samples were prepared from women (n = 98), who be subjected to intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and cfDNA concentration was measured by quantitative Real-Time PCR. RESULT: We determined that there was significant correlation between follicular cfDNA and duration of infertility (r=0.23, p=0.02) while there was no association between plasma cfDNA and duration of infertility (r= -0.002, p=0.98) and age. Likewise, by considering chemical pregnancy as dependent and age, number of oocytes, AMH, FSH, duration of infertility, plasma cfDNA, and follicular cfDNA as independent variables, logistic regression analysis showed that plasma cfDNA is the only predictor of chemical pregnancy. Finally, the mean plasma cfDNA level was significantly greater in women who did not get pregnant. CONCLUSION: CfDNA might establish a favorable biomarker of follicular micro-environment quality and might be applied for predict IVF outcome prediction and to improve female infertility management.
Keywords : Plasma Cell-free DNA follicular fluid In Vitro Fertilization Quantitative Real-Time PCR.