Human immunodeficiency type-1 virus (HIV-1) infection in serodiscordant couples (SDCs) does not have an impact on embryo quality or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcome

Objective

To evaluate the embryo quality in our program for human immunodeficiency type-1 virus (HIV-1) serodiscordant couples (SDCs) with the male infected in comparison with a tubal-factor infertility control group.

Design

Retrospective case-control study.

Setting

Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain.

Patient(s)

Thirty SDC and 79 control couples without HIV-1 infection attending for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Only first cycles were considered.

Intervention(s)

Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and ICSI in both groups; sperm wash, nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in semen sample, and capacitation by swim-up after thawing the semen sample in the SDC group; and sperm capacitation by swim-up after thawing the semen sample in the control group.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

ICSI procedure and embryo characteristics (fertilization, cleavage, embryo morphology, and development) and cycle outcome (ongoing pregnancy and miscarriage rates).

Result(s)

Fertilization and cleavage rates were similar between the groups. On days 2 and 3 of embryo development, very similar embryo features were found between the groups. There was no difference in mean number of optimal embryos on day 3. When embryos were cultured up to 5–6 days, a significant increase in embryo blockage was found in the SDC group compared with the control group. The mean number of optimal blastocysts on day 6 was comparable in both groups. No difference was found regarding the number of cryopreserved and transferred embryos or implantation, pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, or miscarriage rates between the groups.

Conclusion(s)

HIV-1 infection in SDCs with infected males does not appear to have a significantly negative impact on embryo development or ICSI outcome.

Key Words: Embryo quality, HIV-1, ICSI, nested PCR, semen wash, serodiscordant couples