PROSTANOID LEVELS IN IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION CULTURE-MEDIUM ARE NOT RELATED TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF IMPLANTATION

Objective: To determine prostanoid levels (prostaglandin E(2), prostag landin F-2 alpha, 6-keto-prostaglandin F-1 alpha, and thromboxane B-2 [TXB(2)]) in embryo culture medium containing inactivated maternal ser um and their correlation with the clinical outcome of IVF-ET. Design: Prostanoid levels were measured in blank control medium and in medium containing an embryo or nonfertilized oocyte with a high-pressure liqu id chromatography (HPLC-RIA) method. Comparison of HPLC-RIA, Seppak C- 18-RIA, and RIA directly in the medium demonstrated identical results for TXB(2), allowing the use of direct RIA in the large investigation of 129 media. Setting: Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands. Pa tients: Patients with (n = 12) and without (n = 15) an ongoing pregnan cy after IVF-ET. Main Outcome Measures: Prostanoid levels in embryo cu lture medium and relationship between prostanoid levels and successful implantation. Results: Thromboxane B-2 is the only prostanoid consist ently found in these media. In both groups there was no difference in TXB(2) levels between control media, media containing a nonfertilized oocyte, and media containing an embryo. There was no difference in TXB (2) levels between media that had harbored the beginning of a successf ul pregnancy and those that had not produced a pregnancy. Conclusion: Thromboxane B-2 in the embryo culture medium originates from maternal serum and bears no relationship with the likelihood of fertilization a nd implantation.