Stress-response in male partners of women submitted to in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

Background: In a previous work, we have reported the relationship between w omen and the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) . The goal of the present work is to evaluate the association between vulne rability to stress and treatment outcome in male partners of couples submit ted to IVF-ET. Methods: The day of semen collection at the Assisted Reprodu ction Unit of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mo dena, 45 subjects were submitted to Stroop Color Word Conflict, a task meas uring the ability to cope with a cognitive stressor, involving the attentio nal and sympathoadrenal system. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as w ell as heart rate (HR), were measured at baseline, during the test and 10 m in after the end of testing. The evidence of pregnancy (beta hCG >250 mlU/m l 12 days after ET) is the main outcome measure; the couples were classed i n either a 'success' or a 'failure' group. Results: Thirteen couples became pregnant. Pregnancy progressed until term in 6 cases, while 7 cases showed only a preclinical evidence of pregnancy. Age, education, ca uses and du r ation of infertility were similar in the success and failure groups. No dif ference was found in the number and motility of spermatozoa both at baselin e and after capacitation (a technique improving sperm motility). Moreover, the success group showed a higher number of both fertilized oocytes and emb ryos transferred compared with the failure group. The area under the curve of the cardiovascular parameters was calculated. The failure group showed a higher value for HR (50.6 +/- 36.7 of percent total change) than the succe ss group (31.8 +/- 16.9; p = 0.006). Conclusions: The cardiovascular respon se to stress is a good correlate of success in infertile males submitted to the IVF-ET program. Copyright (C) 2000 S.Karger AG, Basel.