PLASMANATE AS A MEDIUM SUPPLEMENT FOR INVITRO FERTILIZATION

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of Plasmana te, a protein preparation containing human serum albumin and mixed glo bulins to autologous preovulatory maternal serum, as an in vitro ferti lization (IVF) medium supplement. Plasmanate was used most often in ca ses involving unexplained infertility, sperm antibodies, and endometri osis or when serum was unavailable. Results: In a retrospective analys is of 1019 consecutive IVF cycles, Plasmanate was used as the protein supplement to the fertilization medium in 28.6% and maternal serum was used in 71.4% of the attempts. Attempting to eliminate the effects of different medium lots and laboratory conditions, 450 matched patient cycles were compared using the two protein supplements. Finally, the e ffects of Plasmanate versus maternal serum were compared in prospectiv e randomized trial on patients diagnosed with tubal infertility who we re attempting IVF for the first time. The clinical pregnancy rate was 34% for the Plasmanate group versus 24% for those using maternal serum in the retrospective investigation. However, this trend was reversed in the prospective trial. Conclusion: Although further investigation i s necessary, it appears that Plasmanate is an appropriate protein subs titute in patient cases where serum is absent or unsuitable.