The significance of the oocyte factor in the development of infertility of unclear genesis

Kirakosyan E.V., Ekimov A.N., Pavlovich S.V.

1) I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University) , Moscow, Russia 2) Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
Infertility of unclear genesis is diagnosed in a married couple with no obvious defects in the reproductive system. A number of cases with infertility of unclear genesis are found to have impaired processes of fertilization and early embryogenesis through in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs. This may suggest that infertility of unclear genesis may be due, inter alia, to gamete defects. The sources of world literature have been reviewed in the databases Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, Cochrane CENTRAL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE), EMBASE, Global Health, CyberLeninka, and Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) for a comprehensive study of the contribution of the oocyte factor to infertility. Diminished oocyte quality in most women is associated with their natural aging. However, some young women have low rates of fertilization and embryo development during IVF, which indirectly indicates the irregularly low quality of their oocytes and may be a manifestation of accelerated aging processes. In another portion of women, the low quality of oocytes is probably due to mutations in the genes encoding proteins involved in the processes of oocyte development. The low quality of oocytes may be associated with mutations in the PATL2, TUBB8, WEE2, and PAD16 genes, the change in expression of which leads to impaired oocyte maturation at metaphase of meiosis II (MII), to decreased oocyte ability for full fertilization and embryo formation, and to early embryonic development arrest, respectively. It is difficult to develop screening tests to identify these mutations, as they often occur sporadically and are not inherited due to infertility.
Conclusion: Genetic diagnosis is necessary to optimize treatment policy for patients with infertility, including that of unclear genesis, and to reduce the time before making a decision, for example, on the use of donor oocytes.

Keywords

infertility of unclear genesis
unexplained infertility
idiopathic infertility
oocyte factor
oocyte quality
in vitro fertilization
IVF
monogenic mutations
gene sequencing
age-related infertility

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Received 02.12.2021

Accepted 13.12.2021

 

About the Authors

Evgeniya V. Kirakosyan, graduate, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatology and Reproductology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University,
Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, +7(916)574-79-63, evgeniya.kirakosyan@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6021-2449, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Akademika Oparina str., 4.
Alexey N. Ekimov, doctor of clinical laboratory diagnostics, Head of the Preimplantation Genetic Screening Group of the Laboratory of Molecular Genetic Methods, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, +7(495)531-44-44, a_ekimov@oparina4.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5029-0462, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Akademika Oparina str., 4.
Stanislav V. Pavlovich, Ph.D., Academic Secretary, Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology,
Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation; Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatology and Reproductology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), +7(495)438-20-88, s_pavlovich@oparina4.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1313-7079, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Akademika Oparina str., 4.
Corresponding author: Evgeniya V. Kirakosyan, evgeniya.kirakosyan@mail.ru

Authors’ contributions: Kirakosyan E.V., Ekimov A.N., Pavlovich S.V. - development of the concept of the article; analysis of literature data; editing; Kirakosyan E.V. - writing the text.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Funding: This investigation has not been sponsored.
For citation: Kirakosyan E. V., Ekimov A.N., Pavlovich S. V. The significance of the oocyte factor in the development of infertility of unclear genesis.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2022; 1:14-21 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2022.1.14-21

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