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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on October 30, 2007
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dem280
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Developmental fate of ovoid oocytes

T. Ebner1, O. Shebl, M. Moser, M. Sommergruber and G. Tews

Landes- Frauen- und Kinderklinik, IVF-Unit, Krankenhausstr. 26-30, A-4020 Linz, Austria

1 Correspondence address. E-mail: thomas.ebner{at}gespag.at

BACKGROUND: Irregularities in composition, thickness and/or color of the zona pellucida may impair optimal function and result in reduced outcome. Anomalies of oocyte shape have not been investigated in detail in this respect.

METHODS: Therefore, all patients attending our clinic within a period of 1 year were screened for the presence of ovoid gametes and the corresponding developmental potential was evaluated. For all elongated gametes, a roundness index (RI; length divided by width) was calculated in order to quantify shape.

RESULTS: RI did not affect fertilizability (P > 0.05). The degree of dysmorphism was found to be related to cleavage pattern. The more ovoid a gamete was, the higher was the risk of the corresponding zygote not cleaving like a tetrahedron (P < 0.01). Abnormal cleavage (a rather flat array of blastomeres) was associated with delayed compaction (P < 0.01) and blastocyst formation (P < 0.001). The quality of blastocysts was not affected at any stage in ovoid concepti (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Ovoid oocytes with abnormal cleavage pattern show delayed preimplantation development, probably due to a reduced number of cell-to-cell contacts.

Key words: blastocyst formation/compaction/ovoid shape/roundness index/zona pellucida

Submitted on March 28, 2007; resubmitted on June 14, 2007; accepted on August 13, 2007.


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