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The Effect of Aflatoxin Metabolites Concentration in Follicular Fluid on Laboratory and Clinical Outcomes in ICSI

Completed
Conditions
Aflatoxin Poisoning
Registration Number
NCT05583370
Lead Sponsor
Assiut University
Brief Summary

Mycotoxins are secondary toxic metabolites produced by Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium species of fungi, when they infect and proliferate on various agricultural commodities either in the field and/or during storage. The well-known detrimental health effects of mycotoxins in humans include liver cancer, Balkan endemic nephropathy, child growth impairment, immune suppression, neural tube defects and death in acute exposure. However, growing evidence also suggests that mycotoxins may negatively influence human fertility.

Detailed Description

Aflatoxins (AFs) contaminate different types of food and feed commodities, especially in hot and humid regions of the world . The major AFs are characterized as B1, B2, G1 and G2, among these four, B1 is best known because of its hepatocarcinogenic nature \]. AFs M1 and M2 are produced by biological metabolism of AFB1 and AFB2 from contaminated feed used by animals and excreted in milk and dairy products.

Natural occurrence of mycotoxins is present in a large part of the world food supply and bear potential threat to food safety and food security . From global perspective of food safety and food security, mycotoxins contamination of foods has gained much attention as potential health hazards for humans and animals.

Studies using animal and cell models indicate that zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1 can adversely affect fertility, mainly through damage to sex organs, gametes and disruption of steroidogenesis. For instance, animal models have indicated that exposure to the aforementioned mycotoxins can promote adverse effects on spermatozoa, sertoli and Leydig cell function, oocyte maturation, and uterine and ovarian development and function, both in vivo and ex vivo. They may also induce oxidative stress resulting in sperm DNA damage and subsequently, reduced fertilisation rates and lower embryo quality. Furthermore, mycotoxins may act as endocrine disrupters, altering the steroid hormone homeostasis, consequently leading to subfertility or infertility. In humans, zearalenone has been linked to precocious puberty in girls, correlating with extremely high serum oestrogen levels whereas aflatoxin B1 has been linked to poor sperm quality in infertile males. Considering that multiple exposures to these mycotoxins have been reported in humans and that there is a homology in organ systems between animals and humans, these findings may have clinical relevance in human infertility.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
60
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
- Clinical pregnancy4 weeks from embryo transfer

- Clinical pregnancy: the presence of gestational sac and fetal pole with visible pulsations after 4 weeks from embryo transfer.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Biochemical pregnancy2weeks from embryo transfer

positive bHCG in the serum measured 2 weeks after embryo transfer

Oocyte qualityImmediately after ovum pick up

Percentage of good quality oocytes: the number of good quality oocytes divided by the total number of retrieved oocytes x 100

Embryo quality3-5 days after ovum pick up

- Percentage of good-quality embryos: the number of good-quality embryos divided by the total number of injected oocytes x 100 assessed on the day of embryo transfer

Fertilization rate16-18 hours after insimination

the number of fertilized oocytes divided by the total number of injected oocytes x 100

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Assiu University

🇪🇬

Assiut, Egypt

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