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InfertilityNCT00602966

Oocyte Cryopreservation: Slow Cooling Versus Vitrification Techniques on Oocyte Survival

An observational study of Infertility, run by UConn Health at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Oocyte cryopreservation has been studied for many years without much success in refining a method that has consistent, reliable results in producing viable embryos and clinical pregnancies. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 21 to 36 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Infertility
How many people
14 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2006to May 2010
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 21 to 36 years
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Study population: The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services patient population

Who may be able to join

  • Patients ≤ 36 years old
  • Day #3 follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) < 10mIU/ml, and Estradiol < 70 pg/ml.
  • The study will be limited to couples who do not wish to cryopreserve excess embryos, who would otherwise have their excess oocytes discarded.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) ≤ 35
  • Patients currently being seen in our offices

Who cannot join

  • Male partner requiring microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration or testicular sperm extraction (MESA/TESE) for sperm retrieval
  • Day #3 follicle stimulation hormone (FSH) > 10mIU/ml, or estradiol > 70 pg/ml
  • Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) >35

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services

    Farmington, Connecticut, 06030-6224

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Oocyte Cryopreservation: Comparison of Slow Cooling Versus Vitrification Techniques on Oocyte Survival, Fertilization, and Embryo Development

Oocyte cryopreservation has been studied for many years without much success in refining a method that has consistent, reliable results in producing viable embryos and clinical pregnancies. In 1986 the first baby was born from an embryo created from a frozen oocyte; however, since then there have been less than 150 births from frozen eggs. To date, there are no reportable adverse outcomes in the children born from frozen oocytes. The research continues to look at different methods of oocyte cryopreservation. Many smaller studies have been conducted with some success but larger clinical trials are needed to replicate these findings. The conventional cryopreservation technique has been slow cooling with differing methods of freezing; however, vitrification is now being researched as the potential cryopreserving method that holds some promise for the future.

Our hypothesis is the use of vitrification (quick freezing) to cryopreserve oocytes in patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization will be more successful than slow freezing in oocyte survival, fertilization rate with ICSI and subsequent embryo development, implantation rate and pregnancy rate.

Read the detailed description

Cryopreservation of oocytes is desirable because it: 1) would allow infertility patients to store excess oocytes instead of embryos, eliminating some of the ethical and religious concerns that accompany embryo storage; 2) permit storage of donor oocytes to avoid donor-recipient synchronization difficulties; and 3) can help women who may face sterilization due to chemotherapy or radiation. Oocyte cryopreservation is therefore gaining in popularity as an option for infertility treatment as well as fertility preservation.

Oocyte cryopreservation using conventional slow-cooling methods has not had much success; however more recent results have provided more optimism (Boldt et al., 2003; Porcu et al., 1997; 2000; 2002; Yang et al., 1998; 1999; 2002; Winslow et al., 2001). Vitrification has also been employed (Hong et al., 1999; Kuleshova et al., 1999; Yoon et al., 2000, 2003; Chung et al 2000; Wu et al., 2001: Kuwayama et al., 2005) with increased oocyte survival rate and live births. Vitrification is performed by suspending the oocytes in a solution containing a high concentration of cryoprotectants and then plunging them directly into liquid nitrogen (Rall and Fahy, 1985). The advantage of this technique is to prevent the formation of ice crystals within the oocyte. However the toxic effect of the high concentration of the cryoprotectant media has been a concern. New vitrification techniques which attempt to accelerate the cooling rate by decreasing the cryosolution volume and concentration, may reduce the potential toxicity. In addition, a more rapid cooling rate results in reduced chilling injury (Vajta et al., 1998).

Conditions
Infertility
Keywords
Oocyte cryopreservation, slow freeze, vitrification
Medical subject headings
Infertility

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT00602966
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Slow FreezeNot described
VitrificationNot described

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Oocyte survival

    Measured: When patient returns for thaw cycle

Secondary outcomes (1)

  1. Implantation rate

    Measured: 2 weeks after transfer of thawed oocyte

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted28 Jan 2008 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2006
  3. Primary completionOct 2009
  4. Study completionMay 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
14 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00602966
Sponsor's protocol ID
06-336-2
Other IDs
26525
Status last verified
Oct 2011
First submitted
15 Jan 2008
Last updated
28 Oct 2011
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Boldt J, Cline D, McLaughlin D. Human oocyte cryopreservation as an adjunct to IVF-embryo transfer cycles. Hum Reprod. 2003 Jun;18(6):1250-5. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deg242.

    PubMed 12773454

  • Carroll J, Depypere H, Matthews CD. Freeze-thaw-induced changes of the zona pellucida explains decreased rates of fertilization in frozen-thawed mouse oocytes. J Reprod Fertil. 1990 Nov;90(2):547-53. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0900547.

    PubMed 2250252

  • Fuku E, Xia L, Downey BR. Ultrastructural changes in bovine oocytes cryopreserved by vitrification. Cryobiology. 1995 Apr;32(2):139-56. doi: 10.1006/cryo.1995.1013.

    PubMed 7743816

  • Hong SW, Chung HM, Lim JM, Ko JJ, Yoon TK, Yee B, Cha KY. Improved human oocyte development after vitrification: a comparison of thawing methods. Fertil Steril. 1999 Jul;72(1):142-6. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(99)00199-5.

    PubMed 10428163

  • Kuleshova L, Gianaroli L, Magli C, Ferraretti A, Trounson A. Birth following vitrification of a small number of human oocytes: case report. Hum Reprod. 1999 Dec;14(12):3077-9. doi: 10.1093/humrep/14.12.3077.

    PubMed 10601099

  • Porcu E, Fabbri R, Seracchioli R, Ciotti PM, Magrini O, Flamigni C. Birth of a healthy female after intracytoplasmic sperm injection of cryopreserved human oocytes. Fertil Steril. 1997 Oct;68(4):724-6. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(97)00268-9.

    PubMed 9341619

  • Porcu E, Fabbri R, Damiano G, Giunchi S, Fratto R, Ciotti PM, Venturoli S, Flamigni C. Clinical experience and applications of oocyte cryopreservation. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2000 Nov 27;169(1-2):33-7. doi: 10.1016/s0303-7207(00)00348-8.

    PubMed 11155951

  • Rall WF, Fahy GM. Ice-free cryopreservation of mouse embryos at -196 degrees C by vitrification. Nature. 1985 Feb 14-20;313(6003):573-5. doi: 10.1038/313573a0.

    PubMed 3969158

  • Stachecki JJ, Cohen J, Willadsen S. Detrimental effects of sodium during mouse oocyte cryopreservation. Biol Reprod. 1998 Aug;59(2):395-400. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod59.2.395.

    PubMed 9687313

  • Stachecki JJ, Cohen J, Willadsen SM. Cryopreservation of unfertilized mouse oocytes: the effect of replacing sodium with choline in the freezing medium. Cryobiology. 1998 Dec;37(4):346-54. doi: 10.1006/cryo.1998.2130.

    PubMed 9917351

  • Stachecki JJ, Cohen J, Schimmel T, Willadsen SM. Fetal development of mouse oocytes and zygotes cryopreserved in a nonconventional freezing medium. Cryobiology. 2002 Feb;44(1):5-13. doi: 10.1016/S0011-2240(02)00007-X.

    PubMed 12061843

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Infertility, run by UConn Health at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Oct 2011. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Oocyte survival (time frame: When patient returns for thaw cycle). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00602966, which also lists 11 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Oct 2011.

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