Biochemical infertility among prospective oocytes’ donors at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Assisted Reproductive Unit, Nigeria

Abstract

With the advent of Assisted Reproduction, egg donation now makes pregnancy possible for women who might not otherwise be able to get pregnant using their own eggs thus warranting the assistance of oocytes’ donors. Prospective oocytes’ donors are biochemically screened apart from genetic, physical and psychosocial screening to ensure their suitability. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate prevalence and pattern of biochemical abnormalities, even in third party clients at our Assisted Reproductive Therapy Unit.

Forty-eight prospective oocytes’ donors who presented between June 2012 and December 2016 at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Assisted Reproductive Unit, Nigeria for possible recruitment as third party subjects for assisted reproduction procedures had their fasting blood samples collected for fertility profile assay. This was done as part of their routine laboratory tests to ascertain their suitability for the procedures. The results of the fertility profile hormonal assays were statistically analyzed.

The mean age for all the prospective oocytes’ donors in this study was 22.63±2.28 years, the youngest of them being 19 while the oldest was 30 years old. Twenty-one (43.17%) of the prospective oocytes’ donors with mean age of 21.95±2.25 years had normogonadotrophic normogonadism (biochemically normal) while twenty-seven (56.83%) of them with mean age of 23.6±2.4 years had either one form or another biochemical abnormality. Nine (18.75%) of them with mean age of 22.78±2.17 years were accidentally found to have hyperprolactinaemia, 14 (29.17%) with mean age of 22.79±1.63 years had polycystic ovarian syndrome while 4(8.33%) of them had hypergonadotrophism (premature ovarian failure) at mean age of 25.25±3.4 years. None of them however, had hypogonadotrophism.

Biochemical infertility, though accidentally discovered is a common finding in our environment even among the non-suspecting third party clients in assisted reproduction. Hence, routine pre-marital biochemical fertility profile assessment should be encouraged to diagnose biochemical infertility early before it is too late.

Keywords: Biochemical infertility, Prospective Oocytes’ Donors, Assisted Reproductive Unit