This post provides a short summary of select studies from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 2023 meeting in Copenhagen. These studies may not have been published or peer reviewed yet.
Selected press releases from ESHRE 2023
Here are some quick summaries of selected press releases from the meeting.
12 million babies born through IVF since 1978
The International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technology (ICMART) has estimated that there have been at least 12 million babies born through IVF since the first birth in 1978, with annual births of around 750,000. This calculation is based on data collected up to 2018, including recent data from China. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Pre-treatment with testosterone shows no benefit in poor responders
The multicenter randomized controlled T-TRANSPORT trial found that pre-treatment administration of transdermal testosterone in poor responders did not lead to a significant increase in the number of oocytes retrieved, contrary to what was seen in animal models. There were also no differences in rates for egg maturity, fertilization or clinical pregnancy, even when comparing different age groups. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Day 5 and day 3 cumulative live birth rates equivalent, except in women 36 or older
The multicenter randomized controlled Three or Five trial found that there was no significant difference in the cumulative live birth rate between day 3 and day 5 embryo transfers in patients with good prognosis and four or more embryos on day 2 of culture, but found that women aged 36 and over had improved rates with day 5 transfers. The live birth rate was higher with day 5 transfers compared to day 3, as was the risk of preterm birth. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Obese men who lose weight show improved sperm concentration, count
Researchers found that an eight-week low-calorie diet in obese men led to improved semen parameters, including sperm concentration and count, which was maintained in some men after one year of continued weight control, highlighting the potential impact of diet on reproductive health. However semen volume, sperm motility, and motile sperm count did not show significant changes. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Women with adenomyosis at higher risk of pregnancy complications
Researchers found that women with adenomyosis had significantly higher rates of complications, such as caesarean section deliveries, surgical removal of the uterus, wound complications, and blood transfusions, compared to those without the condition, emphasizing the need for increased monitoring for those with adenomyosis during pregnancy. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Single embryo transfers on the rise in Europe
Women opting for the transfer of a single embryo during IVF and ICSI procedures have increased in Europe, up from 55.4% in 2019 to 57.6% in 2020, based on preliminary data from the ESHRE European IVF-monitoring Consortium. This shift toward single embryo transfers has led to a decrease in multiple pregnancies and complications, making fertility treatments safer for both mothers and babies, said lead author Jesper Smeenk. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
AI tool “SpermSearch” rapidly identifies viable sperm in testicular biopsy samples
A newly developed artificial intelligence tool called SpermSearch enables rapid and precise identification of viable sperm in testicular biopsy samples from men with severe infertility, significantly reducing the time required by manual identification by embryologists, which can take hours under a microscope. “[The AI algorithm] will ensure the rapid identification of sperm in samples, which will not only increase the chance of a couple conceiving their own biological children, but also reduce stress on sperm and increase efficiency in the laboratory,” said lead author Dale Goss. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Debate on mild vs conventional ovarian stimulation for IVF
During a debate on mild versus conventional IVF approaches, the majority of the audience favored conventional stimulation, citing concerns about cost, safety, and birth rates. Supporters of mild stimulation argued for its equivalence in success rates, lack of harm to patients, affordability, and adherence to sustainability goals, while proponents of conventional stimulation emphasized the benefits of vitrification and higher oocyte numbers in improving cumulative and live birth rates. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
No change in maternal or neonatal outcomes after PGT
A registry analysis of SART surveillance data found that trophectoderm biopsy with PGT appears to be safe, with no significant increase in maternal or neonatal outcomes among those who performed PGT compared to those who didn’t. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Half of women who freeze their eggs in their 30s don’t use them in future procedures
Researchers found that only 48% of women who froze their eggs in their 30s used them during future fertility treatments, while the remainder had other procedures, such as IUI or IVF with fresh eggs. The average age of women who used their frozen eggs was 42, while those who opted to have fresh eggs retrieved were 39. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Mild COVID-19 infections lead to persistent decreases in sperm quality
Researchers found that men who experienced mild COVID-19 infections had lower semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm count, total motility and sperm viability, which persisted up to 100 days with some parameters, suggesting a potential long-term effect of COVID-19 on male fertility. Although the semen quality of the affected men still fell within the normal criteria, further research is needed to determine if these changes in semen quality after COVID-19 infection impact fertility, said Carlos Calhaz-Jorge, the chair of ESHRE, who wasn’t involved in the research. Check out the full press release on ESHRE.
Selected abstracts for oral presentation from ESHRE 2023
Here are a collection of abstracts titles for oral presentations from the meeting, along with a short sentence with the results. There were over 300 presentations, and these are the ones that seem particularly interesting (in my opinion!). You can access the full list here.
Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women with PCOS: a cohort study of 75142 participants from the UK biobank : PCOS is strongly associated with cardiovascular risk factors, but does not increase cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women aged 40-60 years.
‘The PiNC Trial’: Progesterone in Natural Cycles for the treatment of unexplained infertility : Progesterone support in natural cycles increased live births and reduced miscarriages.
Single-cell DNA sequencing reveals that current bulk DNA sequencing methods lead to an underestimation of chromosomal mosaicism in human blastocysts : High resolution single cell DNA sequencing found that nearly all blastocysts are mosaic.
A multi-center randomized controlled trial of intraovarian injection of platelet rich plasma for women with poor ovarian response : RCT studying the impact of PRP finds no increase in the number of eggs retrieved in women with poor ovarian response.
Double vs. single stimulation in young poor prognosis patients followed by a fresh embryo transfer: a randomized controlled trial. : DUO-STIM leads to more good quality embryos, with no change in transfer outcomes.
Update on the International Registry of Mosaic Embryo Transfers : Low level mosaics have higher live birth rates than high level mosaics. About 1% of babies born were mosaic.
Perinatal and postnatal outcomes up to the third year of life after the transfer of mosaic embryos compared with euploid embryos : No perinatal and postnatal differences in children born after euploid or low level mosaic embryo transfers, up to three years.
An umbrella review of meta-analyses regarding the incidence of female specific malignancies following fertility treatment : Women with fertility treatments showed a higher incidence of ovarian cancer, but not cervical, breast or endometrial cancer.
The influence of microfluidic preparation of spermatozoa for ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) in an unselected IVF population on fertilization rate, embryo-quality and pregnancy rate : Zymot selection showed equivalent fertilization, blastocyst conversion and clinical pregnancy rates compared to the classical swim-up technique in unselected patients.
The Paternal Clock: Shedding Light on the Relationship Between Paternal Age and Sperm DNA Fragmentation : SDF levels begin increasing in men 35 and above.
Morphology should be prioritised over presumed mosaicism status in PGT-A cycles: data from a non-selection study of 2,621 embryo transfers : In the case of euploid and low-mosaic embryo transfers, embryo grade is a better predictor for live birth rate.
Dual trigger does not improve reproductive outcomes in advanced maternal age women
Can advanced sperm selection techniques improve blastocyst euploidy rate of abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation cases to the level of normal ones; prospective randomized controlled trial : Euploid rates were equivalent in embryos derived from sperm with normal SDF levels compared to sperm processed by PICSI or MACS, regardless of age.
