THE PREDICTORS OF CLINICAL FERTILIZATION IN IVF CYCLES

We examined the demographic characteristics of couples, ovarian response and sperm quality to determine the predictors of clinical fertilization in IVF cycles. A descriptive and analytic study was conducted using data and biologic specimens obtained Fatemeh-Alzahra of Babol infertility center from 2004 to 2005. Only data from 315 women who had medical indication for conventional IVF treatment were included in the analysis. Treatment using ICSI was excluded. In the univariate analysis, the following variables affected on fertilization rate: the length of infertility, the number of IVF cycle, basal LH serum on 2 days, the number of administration of hMG, the duration of ovarian stimulation, the number of follicles, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of oocytes stage II and III, sperm count, sperm motility, sperm grading III and IV. In the multivariate analysis, the strongest predictor of positive fertilization was the mean number of oocytes retrieved. Also, the mean number of oocytes stage II and stage III were positive predictors of fertilization. The mean of basal LH serum on day 2 and the mean duration of ovarian stimulation were negative predictors of fertilization Ovarian response to gonadotropins and the quality of oocytes were main predictors of fertilization. Although some parameters of sperm quality were significant variables of fertilization rate in univariate analysis, in multivariate analysis one''s effects were negligible. This information should be used when selecting couples for IVF cycles or oocytes for fertilization to raise the rate of clinical fertilization.