Role of the immunoregulatory potential of seminal plasma in the IVF treatment of infertility

Babayan A.A., Nikolaeva M.A., Smolnikova V.Yu., Stepanova E.O., Dontsova T.V., Vanko L.V., Ivanets T.Yu., Kalinina E.A., Krechetova L.V., Sukhikh G.T.

Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow 117997, Ac. Oparina str. 4, Russia
Objective. To assess the relationship of an IVF program to seminal plasma application on the levels of the cytokines IL-18 and TGF-β1 in the seminal plasma ((SP) of partners.
Subjects and methods. The investigation included married couples (n = 71) who were treated for infertility by in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) via SP application on the day of transvaginal puncture. According to the treatment result, the patients were divided into 2 groups: 1) 32 patients with incipient pregnancy; 2) 39 patients with negative treatment results. The levels of the cytokines IL-18 and TGF-β1 in the sexual partners’ seminal plasma were estimated by flow cytofluorometry and fluorescent microspheres using the special kits Human TGF-β1 and IL-18 FlowCytomix Simplex Kits (Bender MedSystems, Vienna, Austria). Statistical data processing was carried out using MedCalc software version 12.3.0.
Results. In the patients with incipient pregnancy, whose partners had significantly lower seminal plasma IL-18 concentrations and total ejaculate IL-18 and TGF-β1 levels than in those with an unsuccessful treatment outcome. The TGF-β1/IL-18 ratio was significantly higher in the sexual partners of patients with a successful treatment outcome.
Conclusion. The seminal plasma level of the cytokines IL-18 and TGF-β1 is associated with reproductive success when implementing an IVF program through seminal plasma application.

Keywords

in vitro fertilization
seminal plasma
cytokines

Supplementary Materials

  1. Table. Characteristics of patients in the study groups
  2. Fig . 1. Comparative characteristics of the concentrations of TGF-β1 (A) and IL-18 (B), the TGF-β1 (B) and IL-18 (D) contents in the entire ejaculate volume and the concentration ratio of TGF-β1 / IL-18 (D) in JV partners of patients of the main group with successful and unsuccessful outcomes of the IVF / ICSI program
  3. Fig . 2. ROC curves of IL-18 content in ejaculate, concentration of IL-18 in SP, TGF-β1 / IL-18 ratio, TGF-β1 content in ejaculate for predicting the success of IVF / ICSI program

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Received 09.06.2017

Accepted 23.06.2017

About the Authors

Babayan Alina Anatolievna, Ph.D., doctor of the department of auxiliary technologies in the treatment of infertility named after prof. B.V. Leonov, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954382501. E-mail: alinababayan@yandex.ru
Nikolaeva Marina Arkadevna, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Leading Researcher of the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954381183. E-mail: nikolaeva_ma@mail.ru
Smolnikova Veronika Yuryevna, MD, leading research assistant of the Department of Auxiliary Technologies in the treatment of infertility named after prof. B.V. Leonov, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia.
117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954382501. E-mail: v_smolnikova@oparina4.ru
Stepanova Elena Olegovna, Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology,
Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +79629544421. E-mail: elena2404.07@mail.ru
Dontsova Tatyana Vladimirovna, postgraduate student of the Department of Auxiliary Technologies in Infertility Treatment, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954382501. E-mail: dr.dontsova@gmail.com
Kalinina Elena Anatolievna, MD, associate professor, head of the department of auxiliary technologies in the treatment of infertility named after prof. B.V. Leonov,
Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia.
117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954381342. E-mail: e_kalinina@oparina4.ru
Vanko Lyudmila Viktorovna, MD, Professor, Leading Researcher, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology,
Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954381183. E-mail: LVanko@oparina4.ru
Ivanets Tatyana Yurievna, Candidate of Medical Science, Head of the department, clinical diagnostic laboratory, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954381183. E-mail: t_ivanets@oparina4.ru
Krechetova Lyubov Valentinovna, Ph.D., Head of the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology,
Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. Tel.: +74954381183. E-mail: l_krechetova@oparina4.ru
Sukhikh Gennady Tikhonovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medicine, Professor, Director of the Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia. 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparina str. 4. E-mail: g_sukhikh@oparina4.ru

For citations: Babayan A.A., Nikolaeva M.A., Smolnikova V.Yu., Stepanova E.O.,
Dontsova T.V., Vanko L.V., Ivanets T.Yu., Kalinina E.A., Krechetova L.V., Sukhikh G.T. Role
of the immunoregulatory potential of seminal plasma in the IVF treatment of infertility.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2018; (3): 76-82. (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2018.3.76-82

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