Intrauterine Administration of Activated Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Intrauterine Insemination: A Prospective Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract : Objective: To evaluate the effect of intrauterine administration of activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) on intrauterine insemination (IUI) success rates. Methods: This prospective double-blind randomized parallel clinical trial included 213 patients undergoing IUI at the Fertilys clinic. PBMC were isolated on the day of ovulation (day 0; D0) and stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for 48 hours (day 2; D2). Patients in the PBMC group (n = 108) underwent in utero administration of 1.106 cells on D2, while patients in the control group (n = 105) were administered sperm-washing medium. Distribution of CD4 T lymphocyte populations (n = 61) was assessed on D0 and D2. Pregnancy and live birth rates were also evaluated. Results: Demographic and clinical characteristics, pregnancy rates, and live birth rates were not significantly different between the PBMC and control groups. Significantly higher levels of T helper (Th) 2, Th22, and T regulatory cells (P < 0.0001) and lower levels of Th17 cells were observed in hCG-activated PBMC at D2 than at D0. Conclusion: Intrauterine administration of PBMC was not beneficial in IUI patients. New clinical approaches to better identify patients requiring endometrium immunomodulation needs to be addressed. (C) 2021 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Societe des obstetriciens et gynecologues du Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.