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Apoptotic biomarkers in cumulus cells in relation to embryo quality in polycystic ovary syndrome

  • Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate associations between gene expression pattern of apoptotic biomarkers in cumulus cells of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients and the quality of oocytes and embryos.

Methods

40 intracytoplasmic sperm injection patients, of whom 20 were PCOS and 20 were healthy women, were included in this study. Serum hormone levels were measured using Radioimmunoassay for each patient. The expression of survivin, caspase-3, and caspase-7 in 200 cumulus complexes surrounding mature oocytes (100 in PCOS versus 100 in control groups) collected individually at pick up was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR).

Results

The expression levels of survivin were significantly lower in PCOS patients than those of normal women while caspase-3 and caspase-7 expression levels were higher in PCOS patients (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant correlation between the levels of these genes and embryo quality.

Conclusions

This study reveals that the measurement of survivin, caspase-3, caspase-7 levels in cumulus cells of PCOS patients could be used as genetic biomarkers for oocyte and embryo selection under an ART program. However, further prospective studies are required to elucidate this issue.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mrs. Moradi and Mrs. Aghajanpour for technical assistance and are grateful to the IVF staff of Arash Hospital.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, 16 Azar Avenue, Poor Sina Street, Tehran, Iran

    Ensieh Salehi, Ebrahim Asadi, Zahra Khosravizadeh, Masoumeh Dehghan Tarzjani & Farid Abolhassani

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Number 12, East Hafez Avenue, Bani Hashem Street, Resalat Highway, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Aflatoonian & Ashraf Moeini

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, 16 Azar Avenue, Poor Sina Street, Tehran, Iran

    Ashraf Moeini

  4. Vali-e-Asr Reproductive Health Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ashraf Moeini

  5. Department of ART, Embryology Laboratory, Arash Women’s Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Science, Resalat Highway, Tehran, Iran

    Nazila Yamini

  6. Department of ART, Embryology Laboratory, Southern California Center, New Port Beach, CA, USA

    Zhila Naghibi harat

Authors
  1. Ensieh Salehi
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  2. Reza Aflatoonian
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  3. Ashraf Moeini
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  7. Masoumeh Dehghan Tarzjani
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  8. Zhila Naghibi harat
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  9. Farid Abolhassani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Farid Abolhassani.

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Funding

This study was supported by the research fund of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (project no.: 93023026153).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all case and control subjects prior to the oocyte retrieval.

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Salehi, E., Aflatoonian, R., Moeini, A. et al. Apoptotic biomarkers in cumulus cells in relation to embryo quality in polycystic ovary syndrome. Arch Gynecol Obstet 296, 1219–1227 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4523-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-017-4523-5

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