EVALUATION OF THE TRU-TRAX CERVICAL-MUCUS PENETRATION TEST IN PREDICTING FERTILIZATION AND PREGNANCY RATES IN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION

To evaluate the role of the Tru-Trax cervical mucus penetration testin g of prognosis of patient performance in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and to examine its use as a possible screening test prior to IVF, 133 couples presenting with infertility prospectively underwent in-vitro c ervical mucus penetration testing. Of these, 66 couples subsequently u nderwent IVF. The penetration distance of the vanguard spermatozoa in both human and bovine mucus was compared to the fertilization and preg nancy rates during IVF. The fertilization rates in couples with normal human mucus penetration (n = 42, 80.6%) were higher, than those with abnormal scores (n = 24, 49.6%; P < 0.001), Similarly, the fertilizati on rates in those couples with normal bovine mucus penetration (n = 50 , 77.5%) were higher than those with abnormal results (n = 16, 40.0%; P < 0.001), Fertilization rates and penetration scores were highly cor related for both human (r = 0.66; P < 0.0001) and bovine (r = 0.66; P < 0.0001) mucus. However, the predictive value of an abnormal result f or failed fertilization was poor for both human and bovine penetration , since 83.33 and 81.25% fertilized respectively. Pregnancy rates did not differ among couples with normal and abnormal penetrations. In con clusion, in-vitro cervical mucus penetration testing was highly correl ated with fertilization rates in IVF. However, the poor predictive val ue of an abnormal result may limit the value of this test for generali zed pretreatment screening.