Presence of a 31-kD protein band in human cumulus-corona radiata-conditioned media and pregnancy outcome

Objective: To investigate relationships between cumulus-oocyte complex (COC ) morphology, protein patterns of cumulus-corona (CC) cell-conditioned medi a, and pregnancy outcome in IVF-ET cycles. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Private university IVF center. Patient(s): One hundred twenty infertile women who underwent IVF-ET procedu res. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): COC grading, analysis of CC cell morphology and co nditioned media, and pregnancy rate (PR). Result(s): After IVF and embryo transfer, cultured CC cells were classified as high (HA) or low (LA) on the basis of their adhesive properties. Neithe r adhesion activity nor fertilization rates and embryo quality were correla ted with COC grading. PR in cycles with HA cells was 38%, but 14% of cycles showing LA activity also had positive outcome. To find more meaningful par ameters of CC cells useful to predict fertilization and pregnancy, the elec trophoretic protein patterns of media conditioned by HA or LA cells were st udied. Retrospective analysis showed that all cycles in which replaced embr yos were associated with the presence of a 31-kD band in conditioned media failed implantation, whereas 83% of cycles lacking this band resulted in po sitive, ongoing pregnancy. Conclusion(s): Pregnancy prediction cannot rely simply on CC cell morpholog ical analysis. Screening of conditioned media may provide more reliable par ameters. (Fertil Steril(R) 2001;75:966-72. (C) 2001 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.).