Comparison of results after in vitro fertilized human embryos are cultured in routine medium and in coculture on Vero cells: a randomized study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether coculture of human embryos on Vero cells improves embryo viability compared with a routine culture method.

SETTING

In vitro fertilization Clinic of the Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.

PATIENT SELECTION

Couples who had given informed consent, had undergone < 3 IVF cycles with ET and where the male had normal semen parameters were selected. Patients who had undergone > or = 3 IVF cycles with ET were allocated directly to coculture.

DESIGN

Patients were randomly allocated to have their embryos cultured in a routine embryo culture medium or in coculture with Vero cells.

RESULTS

There was no difference in pregnancy rates between the two culture groups. Coculture gave a high (> 50%) rate of blastocyst formation. In 16 cycles where patients had previously undergone > or = 3 IVF cycles 4 patients became pregnant.

CONCLUSIONS

Coculture provides no benefit for patients that are performing their initial treatment cycles in IVF.