Preliminary investigation of the impact of anticentromere antibody on oocyte maturation and embryo cleavage.

Objective: To explore whether anticentromere antibody (ACA) is the most significant antibody among antinuclear antibodies (ANA), which adversely affect oocyte maturation, embryo cleavage, and pregnancy outcome in women undergoing an intracytoplasmic sperm injection program.

Design: Retrospective, nested case-control study.

Setting: Center for reproductive medicine, university hospital.

Patient(s): A total of 187 women receiving the first intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle were enrolled in this study, including 20 women with positive ACA and ANA (ACA[+]/ANA[+] group), 51 women with negative ACA and positive ANA(ACA[-]/ANA[+] group), and 116 patients with negative ACA and ANA (ACA[-]/ANA[-] group). Patients in the three groups were age-matched.

Intervention(s): None.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Percentages of germinal vesicle, metaphase I, and metaphase II oocytes, embryo cleavage rate, number of high-quality embryos, and rates of pregnancy and implantation.

Result(s): The metaphase I oocyte percentage was markedly higher and the metaphase II oocyte percentage and the normal cleavage rate were significantly lower in the ACA[+]/ANA[+] group as compared with the ACA[-]/ANA[+] group. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found in rates of pregnancy and implantation among the three groups. However, no significant difference was found between any two groups owing to the small sample size, except for a significantly lower implantation rate being found in the ACA[+]/ANA[+] group when compared with the ACA[-]/ANA[-] group.

Conclusion(s): Our data suggest that ACA may be the essential marker for defective oocytes or embryos in infertile women with any type of ANA.