Publication:

Impact of paternal age on intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle results

Background The purpose of this study is to compare the impacts of the paternal age of patients included in the intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer cycle administered with long protocol.

Methods The patients administered with long agonist protocol, who were primary infertile and had normal over reserves, were divided into two groups based on their sperm concentration. The patients with sperm concentration of over 15 million/ml were defined as group 1, while those with sperm concentration below 15 million/ml were defined as group 2.

Results 602 patients, 302 of whom were in group 1 and 300 of whom were in group 2, enrolled in this study. With regard to treatment results, the implantation rates and clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher in group 1. In an assessment made to determine if the advanced male age had any impact on the clinical pregnancy rates, it was determined that there was a significant decrease in the clinical pregnancy rates only in group 2. When the patients in group 2 were divided and compared into two patient subgroups, i.e. those below 37 years old and over 37 years old, higher number of mature oocytes, embryos was obtained at a lower dose of recombinant follicular stimulant hormone (r-FSH) in the younger patient subgroup, which significantly increased the clinical pregnancy rates with implementation rates.

Conclusions While the pregnancy and implantation rates significantly decreased by advanced paternal age in oligospermic patients administered with ICSI, the abortus rates increased.