Kljajic Marija, Ney Jasmin Teresa, Wagenpfeil Gudrun, Baus Simona, Solomayer Erich-Franz, Kasoha Mariz
Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Saar, Germany.
Institute of Medical Biometry, Epidemiology and Medical Informatics, Saarland University, Homburg, Saar, Germany.
Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2024 Sep 17;85(1):69-79. doi: 10.1055/a-2384-9193. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Identifying non-invasive biomarkers which can predict the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is crucial, particularly in Germany where the challenges are intensified by the Embryo Protection Act. Recent research has highlighted biomarkers within the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family as central to follicular processes, although their predictive utility remains a subject of debate in the literature. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the significance of amphiregulin concentrations in follicular fluid and gene expression in mural granulosa cells on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo quality.
A total of 33 women were recruited at the University Clinic of Saarland Fertility Center (Homburg, Germany). Follicular fluid aspiration consisted of single/individual aspiration of follicles, enabling a 1 : 1 correlation with retrieved oocytes. Follicular fluid and mural granulosa cell samples from 108 oocytes were analyzed. Amphiregulin levels were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while gene expression was analyzed with the StepOnePlus Real-Time PCR System using TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix assays.
Results showed that amphiregulin concentrations affect oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo quality, while luteinizing hormone concentrations influence oocyte maturation, with significant differences identified between fertilized/unfertilized and good/poor embryo groups. Amphiregulin expression significantly impacts oocyte maturation, with downregulation observed in immature oocytes, while luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor expression showed no significant differences between groups and did not influence maturation, fertilization, or embryo quality.
These findings are very important for advancing infertility treatment, especially in Germany. The results for amphiregulin may provide prognostic insights which could be useful when selecting viable oocytes and embryos. This research underscores the importance of non-invasive biomarkers for optimizing ICSI outcomes and potentially enhancing the success rates of assisted reproductive technology.
识别能够预测卵胞浆内单精子注射（ICSI）结果的非侵入性生物标志物至关重要，尤其是在德国，《胚胎保护法》加剧了这方面的挑战。近期研究强调表皮生长因子（EGF）家族中的生物标志物是卵泡发育过程的核心，尽管其预测效用在文献中仍是一个有争议的话题。因此，本研究的主要目的是探讨卵泡液中双调蛋白浓度及壁颗粒细胞中基因表达对卵母细胞成熟、受精和胚胎质量的意义。
在德国洪堡萨尔州立大学临床生育中心招募了33名女性。卵泡液抽吸包括对卵泡进行单次/个体抽吸，从而使抽取的卵泡液与回收的卵母细胞实现1:1对应。对来自108个卵母细胞的卵泡液和壁颗粒细胞样本进行了分析。采用酶联免疫吸附测定法测定双调蛋白水平，同时使用TaqMan Fast Advanced Master Mix检测法通过StepOnePlus实时PCR系统分析基因表达。
结果显示，双调蛋白浓度影响卵母细胞成熟、受精和胚胎质量，而促黄体生成素浓度影响卵母细胞成熟，在受精/未受精以及优质/劣质胚胎组之间发现了显著差异。双调蛋白表达对卵母细胞成熟有显著影响，在未成熟卵母细胞中观察到表达下调，而促黄体生成素/绒毛膜促性腺激素受体表达在各组之间无显著差异，且不影响成熟、受精或胚胎质量。
这些发现对于推进不孕症治疗非常重要，尤其是在德国。双调蛋白的结果可能提供预后见解，这在选择有活力的卵母细胞和胚胎时可能会很有用。本研究强调了非侵入性生物标志物对于优化ICSI结果以及潜在提高辅助生殖技术成功率的重要性。
