Vitamin D Deficiency and Pregnancy Rates in Women Undergoing Frozen Embryo Transfer

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Vitamin D receptors are present and differently expressed in murine endometrium and ovary throughout the estrous cycle , whereas knock-out experiments have shown that vitamin D receptor null mice experience uterine hypoplasia and impaired folliculogenesis. Only few retrospective studies examining the role of vitamin D levels in infertile patients have been published up to date, whereas results are strongly contradictory, with some supporting that maternal vitamin D deficiency is associated with lower pregnancy rates and others demonstrating that vitamin D deficiency does not affect final reproductive outcome. Finally, a recent retrospective study postulated that vitamin D deficiency may negatively affect pregnancy rates with an effect mediated through the endometrium, given that vitamin D deficiency was not correlated with ovarian stimulation characteristics or with markers of embryo quality in this study. In order to examine a potential negative effect of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy rates, mediated through the endometrium, the aim of the current study was to examine the impact of vitamin D levels on pregnancy rates only in an infertile population undergoing embryo transfer of frozen-thawed embryos.

Official Title
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Vitamin D Deficiency and Pregnancy Rates in Women Undergoing Frozen Embryo Transfer. A Prospective Cohort Study

Conditions
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Infertility

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Frozen embryo transfer


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: All women undergoing a frozen ET with 1 or 2 Day 5 (blastocyst stage) embryo Age 18-39 Exclusion Criteria: Women > or = 40 years old IVM ET Uterine abnormalities

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 39 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Vitamin D deficient patients<br>Serum 25-OH Vitamin D levels <20ng/L undergoing Frozen embryo transfer (vitamin D levels are measured on the day of embryo transfer) | Procedure: Frozen embryo transfer<br>* Embryo transfer of frozen/thawed embryos after IVF/ICSI<br>|
| Vitamin D sufficient patients<br>Serum 25-OH Vitamin D levels >20ng/L undergoing Frozen embryo transfer (vitamin D levels are measured on the day of embryo transfer) | Procedure: Frozen embryo transfer<br>* Embryo transfer of frozen/thawed embryos after IVF/ICSI<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clinical pregnancy | The presence of intrauterine gestational sac at 7 weeks of gestation | 4 weeks after embryo transfer | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Biochemical pregnancy | Positive pregnancy test 2 weeks after embryo transfer | 2 weeks after embryo transfer | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Infertility