Abstract

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BLOOD AND FOLLICULAR FLUID OF LEAD AND OTHER MINERALS CONCENTRATION WITH EMBRYO QUALITY IN WOMEN UNDERGOING ICSI

Ruqaya Bashar Al-Smak*, Nawal khairy Al-Ani and Muayyed Sarbit

Abstract

Background: Environmental pollution plays an important role inaffecting the internal milieu of humans. The amount of trace elementsin the environment is generally low, but these chemicals can interferewith physiological systems. Thus, the health and welfare of individualscould be compromised by exposure to environmental levels ofpollutants. Trace elements, mainly the toxicones, can adversely affectreproductive system and its functions, through either direct or indirecteffects on numerous organs and systems. Objective: To assess theeffect of Lead concentration in blood and follicular fluid and Zinc inserum and Follicular fluid on oocyte, embryo quality and pregnancysuccess in women undergoing ICSI. Material and Methods: This studyincluded 70 infertile women undergoing ICSI will be enrolled in assisted reproductivetechnologies (ART) program to enter their ICSI Cycle in High Institute of InfertilityDiagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technologies and in Kamal Al-Samarrai Hospital,center of fertility and IVF (Baghdad/Iraq) during the period from August 2016 to the end ofFebruary 2017. "Blood and follicular fluid lead" and "serum and follicular fluid Zinc ", wereassessed on the day of oocyte retrieval by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer(AAS). Results: There was no significant difference between pregnant and non-pregnantgroups undergoing ICSI cycle in Lead concentration on the day of oocytes retrieval in bothblood and follicular fluid (22.09 ± 0.29 and 23.45 ± 1.21 μg/dl) and (13.58 and 15.94 μg/dl) respectively. Also there was no significant difference between pregnant and non-pregnant groups undergoing ICSI cycle in Zinc concentration on the day of oocytes retrieval in both serum and follicular fluid (67.56 and 68.42 μg/dl) and (84.58 and 80.83 μg/dl) respectively. But there was a highly significant correlation between Pb in blood with Pb in follicular fluid of pregnant and non-pregnant group (r=0.94,P<0.01), (r=0.96,P<0.01) respectively. Also there was a highly significant correlation between Zn in Serum with Zn in FF (r=0.46,P<0.01) of non-pregnant. Conclusions: There was no significant difference between pregnant and non-pregnant groups undergoing ICSI cycle in Lead concentration on the day of oocytes retrieval in both blood and follicular fluid.There was no significant difference between pregnant and non-pregnant groups undergoing ICSI cycle in Zinc concentration on the day of oocytes retrieval in both serum and follicular fluid.

Keywords: Lead, Zn, ICSI, ART, FAAS.