Oocyte Cryopreservation: Slow Cooling Versus Vitrification Techniques on Oocyte Survival

NCT ID: NCT00602966

Last Updated: 2011-10-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

14 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2006-07-31

Study Completion Date

2010-05-31

Brief Summary

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Oocyte cryopreservation has been studied for many years without much success in refining a method that has consistent, reliable results in producing viable embryos and clinical pregnancies. In 1986 the first baby was born from an embryo created from a frozen oocyte; however, since then there have been less than 150 births from frozen eggs. To date, there are no reportable adverse outcomes in the children born from frozen oocytes. The research continues to look at different methods of oocyte cryopreservation. Many smaller studies have been conducted with some success but larger clinical trials are needed to replicate these findings. The conventional cryopreservation technique has been slow cooling with differing methods of freezing; however, vitrification is now being researched as the potential cryopreserving method that holds some promise for the future.

Our hypothesis is the use of vitrification (quick freezing) to cryopreserve oocytes in patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization will be more successful than slow freezing in oocyte survival, fertilization rate with ICSI and subsequent embryo development, implantation rate and pregnancy rate.

Detailed Description

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Cryopreservation of oocytes is desirable because it: 1) would allow infertility patients to store excess oocytes instead of embryos, eliminating some of the ethical and religious concerns that accompany embryo storage; 2) permit storage of donor oocytes to avoid donor-recipient synchronization difficulties; and 3) can help women who may face sterilization due to chemotherapy or radiation. Oocyte cryopreservation is therefore gaining in popularity as an option for infertility treatment as well as fertility preservation.

Oocyte cryopreservation using conventional slow-cooling methods has not had much success; however more recent results have provided more optimism (Boldt et al., 2003; Porcu et al., 1997; 2000; 2002; Yang et al., 1998; 1999; 2002; Winslow et al., 2001). Vitrification has also been employed (Hong et al., 1999; Kuleshova et al., 1999; Yoon et al., 2000, 2003; Chung et al 2000; Wu et al., 2001: Kuwayama et al., 2005) with increased oocyte survival rate and live births. Vitrification is performed by suspending the oocytes in a solution containing a high concentration of cryoprotectants and then plunging them directly into liquid nitrogen (Rall and Fahy, 1985). The advantage of this technique is to prevent the formation of ice crystals within the oocyte. However the toxic effect of the high concentration of the cryoprotectant media has been a concern. New vitrification techniques which attempt to accelerate the cooling rate by decreasing the cryosolution volume and concentration, may reduce the potential toxicity. In addition, a more rapid cooling rate results in reduced chilling injury (Vajta et al., 1998).

Conditions

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Infertility

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Slow Freeze

No interventions assigned to this group

Vitrification

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients ≤ 36 years old
* Day #3 follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) \< 10mIU/ml, and Estradiol \< 70 pg/ml.
* The study will be limited to couples who do not wish to cryopreserve excess embryos, who would otherwise have their excess oocytes discarded.
* Body Mass Index (BMI) ≤ 35
* Patients currently being seen in our offices

Exclusion Criteria

* Male partner requiring microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration or testicular sperm extraction (MESA/TESE) for sperm retrieval
* Day #3 follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) \> 10mIU/ml, or estradiol \> 70 pg/ml
* Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
* Body Mass Index (BMI) \>35
Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

36 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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EMD Serono

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

UConn Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Claudio Benadiva

Laboratory Director and Director of the Preimplantation Genetics Diagnosis Program,

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Claudio Benadiva, MD, HCLD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, P.C.

Locations

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The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services

Farmington, Connecticut, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Boldt J, Cline D, McLaughlin D. Human oocyte cryopreservation as an adjunct to IVF-embryo transfer cycles. Hum Reprod. 2003 Jun;18(6):1250-5. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deg242.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12773454 (View on PubMed)

Carroll J, Depypere H, Matthews CD. Freeze-thaw-induced changes of the zona pellucida explains decreased rates of fertilization in frozen-thawed mouse oocytes. J Reprod Fertil. 1990 Nov;90(2):547-53. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0900547.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 2250252 (View on PubMed)

Fuku E, Xia L, Downey BR. Ultrastructural changes in bovine oocytes cryopreserved by vitrification. Cryobiology. 1995 Apr;32(2):139-56. doi: 10.1006/cryo.1995.1013.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7743816 (View on PubMed)

Hong SW, Chung HM, Lim JM, Ko JJ, Yoon TK, Yee B, Cha KY. Improved human oocyte development after vitrification: a comparison of thawing methods. Fertil Steril. 1999 Jul;72(1):142-6. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(99)00199-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10428163 (View on PubMed)

Kuleshova L, Gianaroli L, Magli C, Ferraretti A, Trounson A. Birth following vitrification of a small number of human oocytes: case report. Hum Reprod. 1999 Dec;14(12):3077-9. doi: 10.1093/humrep/14.12.3077.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10601099 (View on PubMed)

Porcu E, Fabbri R, Seracchioli R, Ciotti PM, Magrini O, Flamigni C. Birth of a healthy female after intracytoplasmic sperm injection of cryopreserved human oocytes. Fertil Steril. 1997 Oct;68(4):724-6. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(97)00268-9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9341619 (View on PubMed)

Porcu E, Fabbri R, Damiano G, Giunchi S, Fratto R, Ciotti PM, Venturoli S, Flamigni C. Clinical experience and applications of oocyte cryopreservation. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2000 Nov 27;169(1-2):33-7. doi: 10.1016/s0303-7207(00)00348-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11155951 (View on PubMed)

Rall WF, Fahy GM. Ice-free cryopreservation of mouse embryos at -196 degrees C by vitrification. Nature. 1985 Feb 14-20;313(6003):573-5. doi: 10.1038/313573a0.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3969158 (View on PubMed)

Stachecki JJ, Cohen J, Willadsen S. Detrimental effects of sodium during mouse oocyte cryopreservation. Biol Reprod. 1998 Aug;59(2):395-400. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod59.2.395.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9687313 (View on PubMed)

Stachecki JJ, Cohen J, Willadsen SM. Cryopreservation of unfertilized mouse oocytes: the effect of replacing sodium with choline in the freezing medium. Cryobiology. 1998 Dec;37(4):346-54. doi: 10.1006/cryo.1998.2130.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9917351 (View on PubMed)

Stachecki JJ, Cohen J, Schimmel T, Willadsen SM. Fetal development of mouse oocytes and zygotes cryopreserved in a nonconventional freezing medium. Cryobiology. 2002 Feb;44(1):5-13. doi: 10.1016/S0011-2240(02)00007-X.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12061843 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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26525

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

06-336-2

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id