The relationship between passive smoking and ovarian response outcome in ART cycles

Smoking has negative effects on reproductive process. Exposing tocigarette smoking (passive smoking) may exert some effects as the direct smoking.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between ovarianresponse and passive smoking in women who underwent ART cycles.

One hundred-sixty patients who underwent ICSI between2000 and 2001 were studied in a prospective cohort study. The case group includedwomen whose husbands smoked at least 5 cigarettes daily for 1 year or more. Thecontrol group included women with nonsmoking husbands. Women with high FSHlevel (>12 IU/ml) were excluded. Long standard protocol with GnRH agonist and HMGwere used in all patients. In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer was carried out in astandard fashion.

Eighty one women were in case group and 82 in control group. Ovarianresponse variables were not significantly different between two groups but there was asignificant relation between passive smoking and fertilization (RR= 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.31). However pregnancy rate was not significantly different between two groups.Moreover there were no significant differences between heavy and light smokers inovarian response outcomes.

This study showed no correlation between ovarian response parametersand passive smoking in women underwent ART cycles, whereas fertilization rate issignificantly lower in this group compared to control group. It may be related to spermquality than oocytes. Assessment of nicotin in follicular fluid and cytogenetic evaluationof embryo before transfer are recommended for more information and confirmation.