Presented in part (O-222) at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Seattle, WA, October 12–17, 2002.
Received 11 August 2003; received in revised form 25 November 2003; accepted 25 November 2003.
Abstract
Objective
To determine the efficacy of treating semen specimens with platelet-activating factor (PAF) before IUI.
Design
Prospective randomized double-blinded study of PAF treatment of sperm for patients with a history of infertility undergoing IUI.
Setting
Private infertility center.
Intervention(s)
Patients had ovulation induction therapy with clomiphene citrate (CC) or gonadotropin, two IUIs per month with PAF treatment.
Main outcome measure(s)
Clinical pregnancy rates.
Result(s)
There was a significant difference in IUI pregnancy rates per cycle between control (10/56; 17.9%) and PAF (14/47; 29.8%) treatment groups in the normal male study arm. There was a significant difference in cumulative IUI pregnancy rates between control (10/35; 28.6%) and PAF (14/26; 53.9%) patient groups in the normal male study arm. There was no significant difference in IUI pregnancy rates per cycle between control (12/124; 9.7%) and PAF (14/119; 11.8%) treatment groups in the male factor study arm. There was no significant difference in cumulative IUI pregnancy rates between control (12/46; 26.1%) and PAF (14/38; 36.8%) patient groups in the male factor study arm. There was a significant difference in overall cumulative IUI pregnancy rates between control (21/81; 25.9%) and PAF (27/64; 42.2%) patient groups.
Conclusion(s)
The inclusion of PAF into the IUI sperm wash procedure significantly improves pregnancy rates. However, the significant improvement can only be shown to affect men presenting with normal semen parameters.
aReproductive Biology Associates, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Reprints requests: William E. Roudebush, Ph.D., Reproductive Biology Associates, 1150 Lake Hearn Drive, Suite 400, Atlanta, Georgia 30342, USA (FAX: 404-256-8376).
ABSTRACT