Effect of sperm treatment with exogenous platelet-activating factor on the outcome of intrauterine insemination.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of sperm treatment with exogenous platelet-activating factor (PAF) on IUI clinical pregnancy rate.

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: Assisted Reproduction Unit, 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Subject(s): Fifty-two couples with unexplained infertility, candidates for IUI.

Intervention(s): Sperm treatment with an exogenous mixture of PAF (final concentration, 10(-7) mol/L) in sperm-washing medium, direct swim-up technique of sperm preparation, a maximum of six IUI cycles per couple with or without PAF treatment.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Clinical pregnancy rate (pregnancies confirmed by ultrasonography per hundred cycles).

Result(s): The overall clinical pregnancy rate after a maximum of six IUI cycles was significantly higher when sperm was treated with PAF compared with the rate after the direct swim-up technique (23.07% vs. 7.92%).

Conclusion(s): Treatment of sperm with exogenous PAF might improve the clinical outcome of IUI in cases of unexplained infertility.