Prednisolone Improves IVF Outcomes in Men With Anti-sperm Antibodies

NCT02935738 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: Prednisolone-SPA-IVF
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 241
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Corticosteroids have been indicated to treat men with ASAs. Although many studies have confirmed the clinical therapeutic significance of corticosteroids in the treatment of men with ASAs, other studies have not found a therapeutic significance for corticosteroids in the treatment of men with ASAs. Moreover, although some reports have shown high fertilization and conception rates in couples when husbands did not have ASAs, other reports have shown that ASAs do not have a negative effect on fertilization and conception rates. These contradictory results have left the therapeutic effect of corticosteroids in men with ASA in continuing controversy. This controversy is also extended to include the usefulness of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the treatment of patients with ASAs. In this regard, although some studies have shown that the pregnancy rate following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracellular sperm injection (ICSI) were similar in men with or without ASA or did not associate with ASA, others reported the superiority of ICSI over IVF and intrauterine insemination over natural intercourse in men with ASAs. It is possible that some patients with ASAs also have an additional problem(s) related to sperm binding to the oolemma and fusion into the ovum as well as sperm head decondensation. The latter condition may negatively influence or mask the clinical significance of corticosteroids on pregnancy rates in patients with ASAs. Some patients might not have benefited from corticosteroids and conventional IVF treatments due to the impaired sperm fusogenic capacity in addition to ASAs. Human sperm penetration assay (SPA), of the hamster oocyte free from zona pellucida, is a sensitive tool that can address such potential impairment of sperm binding with the oolemma and fusion into the oocyte as well as sperm head decondensation. Males with poor SPA results benefit from ICSI whereas those with good SPA results can still benefit from conventional IVF. The present study was therefore conducted to address the therapeutic usefulness of a corticosteroid named prednisolone in the treatment of immunologically infertile men undergoing IVF or ICSI determined by SPA.

Conditions

Reproductive Sterility

Keywords

prednisolone; anti-sperm antibodies; sperm penetration assay

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Number of Control and Treated Participants With Successful Live Births Following Conventional IVF or ICSI Cycles

  Live birth rates in treated and control patients undergoing conventional IVF or ICSI cycles as determined by the sperm penetration assay (SPA) of hamster zone free ova

  Nine months (pregnancy term) after the in vitro fertilization.

Study Arms (4)

Prednisolone treated men / positive SPA / IVF

EXPERIMENTAL

Infertile men, with anti-sperm antibodies, were treated with prednisolone tablet, which is an intermediate acting corticosteroid, po, for 21 days of their wife's menstrual cycles. Briefly, the prednisolone regimen was started with a dose of 5mg, tid, for two weeks followed by 5mg bid for five days. This was further tapered to one tablet of 5mg/day for two days. Patients were then given one week of rest from the treatment, before this prednisolone regimen was repeated for another two cycles. Prednisolone treated men, who recovered from anti-sperm antibodies, underwent then sperm penetration assay (SPA) using zona-free hamster ova. Couples with male partners having positive SPA results (greater than five) were admitted to conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles.

Drug: Prednisolone treatment

Prednisolone treated men / negative SPA / ICSI

EXPERIMENTAL

Infertile men, with anti-sperm antibodies, were treated with prednisolone tablet, which is an intermediate acting corticosteroid, po, for 21 days of their wife's menstrual cycles. Briefly, the prednisolone regimen was started with a dose of 5mg, tid, for two weeks followed by 5mg bid for five days. This was further tapered to one tablet of 5mg/day for two days. Patients were then given one week of rest from the treatment, before this prednisolone regimen was repeated for another two cycles. Prednisolone treated men, who recovered from anti-sperm antibodies, underwent then sperm penetration assay (SPA) using zona-free hamster ova. Couples with male partners having negative SPA results (equal or less than five) were admitted to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Drug: Prednisolone treatment

Control men / positive SPA / IVF

NO INTERVENTION

Infertile men with anti-sperm antibodies who were not treated with prednisolone, which is an intermediate acting corticosteroid, underwent sperm penetration assay (SPA) using zona-free hamster ova. Couples with male partners having positive SPA results (more than five) were then admitted to in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle.

Control men / negative SPA / ICSI

NO INTERVENTION

Infertile men with anti-sperm antibodies who were not treated with prednisolone, which is an intermediate acting corticosteroid, underwent sperm penetration assay (SPA) using zona-free hamster ova. Couples with male partners having negative SPA results (equal or less than five) were then admitted to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Interventions

Prednisolone treatment DRUG

Infertile men were treated with prednisolone tablet, which is an intermediate acting corticosteroid, po, for 21 days of their wife's menstrual cycles. Briefly, the prednisolone regimen was started with a dose of 5mg, tid, for two weeks followed by 5mg bid for five days. This was further tapered to one tablet of 5mg/day for two days. Patients were then given one week of rest from the treatment, before this prednisolone regimen was repeated for another two cycles.

Also known as: Experimental

Prednisolone treated men / negative SPA / ICSI; Prednisolone treated men / positive SPA / IVF

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 25 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Female partners had complete or partial tubal patency
• Male partners with anti-sperm antibodies
• Male partners with sperm count \> 35 million/ml.

You may not qualify if:

• Female partners with polycystic ovary
• Female partners with endometriosis
• Female partners with abnormal profile of reproductive hormones
• Female partners with abnormal profile of thyroid hormones
• Male partners with seminal fluid infections (e.g. leukospermia)
• Male partners with abnormal profile of reproductive hormones
• Male partners with abnormal profile of thyroid hormones

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Barz IVF Center for Infertility Treatment and Embryo Research: lead
• University of Baghdad: collaborator

Related Publications (14)

• Omu AE, al-Qattan F, Abdul Hamada B. Effect of low dose continuous corticosteroid therapy in men with antisperm antibodies on spermatozoal quality and conception rate. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1996 Nov;69(2):129-34. doi: 10.1016/0301-2115(95)02539-1.

  PMID: 8902446 BACKGROUND

• Hendry WF, Treehuba K, Hughes L, Stedronska J, Parslow JM, Wass JA, Besser GM. Cyclic prednisolone therapy for male infertility associated with autoantibodies to spermatozoa. Fertil Steril. 1986 Feb;45(2):249-54. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)49163-6.

  PMID: 3949025 BACKGROUND

• Hendry WF, Hughes L, Scammell G, Pryor JP, Hargreave TB. Comparison of prednisolone and placebo in subfertile men with antibodies to spermatozoa. Lancet. 1990 Jan 13;335(8681):85-8. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(90)90548-j.

  PMID: 1967425 BACKGROUND

• Keane D, Jenkins DM, Higgins T, O'Neill M, Mulcahy MF, Ferriss JB. The effect of intermittent steroid therapy on anti-sperm antibody levels. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 1995 Nov;63(1):75-9. doi: 10.1016/0301-2115(95)02217-u.

  PMID: 8674571 BACKGROUND

• Bals-Pratsch M, Doren M, Karbowski B, Schneider HP, Nieschlag E. Cyclic corticosteroid immunosuppression is unsuccessful in the treatment of sperm antibody-related male infertility: a controlled study. Hum Reprod. 1992 Jan;7(1):99-104. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a137568.

  PMID: 1551969 BACKGROUND

• De Almeida M, Feneux D, Rigaud C, Jouannet P. Steroid therapy for male infertility associated with antisperm antibodies. Results of a small randomized clinical trial. Int J Androl. 1985 Apr;8(2):111-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.1985.tb00824.x.

  PMID: 3894245 BACKGROUND

• Haas GG Jr, Manganiello P. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the use of methylprednisolone in infertile men with sperm-associated immunoglobulins. Fertil Steril. 1987 Feb;47(2):295-301.

  PMID: 3545909 BACKGROUND

• Vazquez-Levin MH, Notrica JA, Polak de Fried E. Male immunologic infertility: sperm performance on in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 1997 Oct;68(4):675-81. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(97)00255-0.

  PMID: 9341610 BACKGROUND

• Ayvaliotis B, Bronson R, Rosenfeld D, Cooper G. Conception rates in couples where autoimmunity to sperm is detected. Fertil Steril. 1985 May;43(5):739-42. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)48557-2.

  PMID: 3996618 BACKGROUND

• Pagidas K, Hemmings R, Falcone T, Miron P. The effect of antisperm autoantibodies in male or female partners undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Fertil Steril. 1994 Aug;62(2):363-9. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)56892-7.

  PMID: 8034086 BACKGROUND

• Zini A, Lefebvre J, Kornitzer G, Bissonnette F, Kadoch IJ, Dean N, Phillips S. Anti-sperm antibody levels are not related to fertilization or pregnancy rates after IVF or IVF/ICSI. J Reprod Immunol. 2011 Jan;88(1):80-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2010.09.002. Epub 2010 Dec 15.

  PMID: 21111486 BACKGROUND

• Zini A, Fahmy N, Belzile E, Ciampi A, Al-Hathal N, Kotb A. Antisperm antibodies are not associated with pregnancy rates after IVF and ICSI: systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2011 Jun;26(6):1288-95. doi: 10.1093/humrep/der074. Epub 2011 Mar 23.

  PMID: 21429953 BACKGROUND

• Lahteenmaki A, Reima I, Hovatta O. Treatment of severe male immunological infertility by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod. 1995 Nov;10(11):2824-8. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a135800.

  PMID: 8747025 BACKGROUND

• Robinson JN, Forman RG, Nicholson SC, Maciocia LR, Barlow DH. A comparison of intrauterine insemination in superovulated cycles to intercourse in couples where the male is receiving steroids for the treatment of autoimmune infertility. Fertil Steril. 1995 Jun;63(6):1260-6. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)57608-0.

  PMID: 7750598 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Infertility

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Saeeda A. Muhsen-Alanssari
• Organization: Barz IVF Center for Embryo Research and Infertility Treatment

barzivfcenter@gmail.com

9798201303

Study Officials

• Saeeda A. Muhsen, DVM, PhD

  Barz IVF Center for Infertility Treatment and Embryo Research

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 11, 2016
• First Posted: October 17, 2016
• Study Start: October 1, 2014
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2016
• Study Completion: May 1, 2016
• Last Updated: November 16, 2020
• Results First Posted: November 16, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10